High Hopes : Book One
by CASTIKLINE
Summary: "He's Tony Stark's son." That whisper had followed Aero around since birth. Being the son of billionaire, genius, world-renowned scientist - and, not to mention, Iron Man himself - Tony Stark was a burden that weighed Aero Stark down since he understood what his father's name meant.
1. INTRO

( IT'S NOT MY FAULT _YOU DON'T CARE ABOUT ME._ )

All his life, Aero had only wanted to do one thing—_music_.

Coming from a family of inventors and a mother who was very skilled in living off food stamps, Aero wonders if he'll ever get to preform his songs. After all, his life is constantly watched by the media, who keep waiting—_hoping_—that he'll slip up, show the world that Tony Stark can't raise a kid to save his life, show everyone what they'd already been thinking—that Aero didn't deserve his last name.

❝ He's Tony Stark's son. ❞

That whisper had followed Aero around since birth. He was the son of billionaire, genius, world-renowned scientist—and, not to mention, Iron Man himself—Tony Stark, and that was a burden that weighed Aero Stark down since he understood what his father's name meant. He was constantly being asked about his father, the Avengers, and, worst of all, if he was planning to become like his dad and keep up the family tradition of science and technology.

Aero had never, not once, met someone who wanted to know about him. No one asked if he liked his name ( he didn't ) or if he enjoyed being a Stark ( he did ). No one wondered why he was secretive, or if he was angry when he went to live with Tony when he was only eight-years-old. No one wondered if Aero Stark was a person, they just assumed he was Tony's publicity stunt gone wrong.

And then he meets his dad's intern.

Peter Parker sees Aero for who he really is. And he's determined to get Aero to see himself, too.

But life isn't as easy as the media makes it out to be. Aero's birth mom, Maxine, has just been released from prison, and she's demanding the rights to see her son. His dad's attention is on her, and, once again, Aero is left to his own devices. He just has to follow one rule—don't cause any trouble. Don't get put in the news and make Tony look bad, or else there was a high chance Aero would go back with Maxine.

But Aero has been nothing _but _trouble since he was born. Can he really keep his life on hold, just so he wouldn't have to go back with his mom?

It's a difficult rule to follow, especially when Aero's ex-best friend, Martin, comes back into his life. The two had left things on shaky ground, and that ground only seems to split more when Aero realizes that Martin is now best friends with an arrogant, teenager reporter who won't leave him alone. But Martin is nice, and Aero is desperate, a bad combination for two teenagers. It's not long before Aero has fallen back into his old ways.

Peter tries to warn him. He does, and Aero doesn't listen.

So it's only Aero's fault for what's to come.

{ CAST }

NICK ROBINSON as AERO STARK  
OR, THE WELL-KNOWN BUT UNKNOWN SON OF A BILLIONAIRE

TOM HOLLAND as PETER PARKER  
OR, TOTALLY-NOT-CUTE-WHAT-DO-YOU-MEAN KID WHO'S TOTALLY NOT HIDING ANYTHING

DEVON BOSTICK as MARTIN EMERSON  
ALEXANDRA SHIPP as BEA THOMAS  
ROBERT DOWNEY JR. as TONY STARK  
GWYNETH PALTROW as PEPPER POTTS  
JESSICA BROWN FINDLAY as MAXINE ADAMS  
JON FAVREAU as HAPPY HOGAN  
JACOB BATALON as NED LEEDS  
ZENDAYA as MICHELLE JONES  
DON CHEADLE as JAMES RHODES

{ SOUNDTRACK }

**i. HIGH HOPES, **panic! at the disco.

**ii. THE SECRET OF HAPPINESS, **megan mcginnis.

**iii. IT ROARS, **erika henningsen.

**iv. KISS THE BOY, **keiynan lonsdale.

**v. THANK U, NEXT, **ariana grande.

**vi. THE ODYSSEY, **candence dorian.

**vii. KNOCKOUT, **candence dorian.

**viii. BAD HABIT, **ben platt.

**ix. BURNING HOUSE, **nico collins

**x. WE ARE UNBREAKABLE, **hedley.

( HIGH HOPES )


	2. PROLOGUE

_"Tell me the truth, Miss Potts," Tony says, looking up from his desk._

_ She stares at him, nodding slowly. "Okay. About what?"_

_ Tony sighs. He leans forward, then sits back again, fidgeting where he sits. "Do you—__ do you think he'd be happy here? Aero? Do you think I would be a good father to him?"_

It had happened so suddenly. His night with Maxine Adams had seemed like a lifetime ago, but, in truth, it was only eight years, as shown by the younger boy who resided upstairs. Tony had been out for a party, she had caught his attention, and one thing had led to another between two drunken, irresponsible adults. She'd been gone the next morning, and he hadn't given her another thought until eight years later.

Because eight years later, Maxine is in prison, and Tony gets a call from a social worker who'd found him through Rhodey — Aero Adams has a father, and Tony Stark's name is on the birth certificate.

The first time Tony met Aero, the boy was little. Too little to be eight, but too grown to be any younger than five. Starved, the doctor warned, of both food and affection. Bruises covered his body, and he flinched away from the doctors like they would hurt him. He wouldn't look Tony in the eye, but he took a quick liking to Pepper, and, once he'd gotten used to Tony, he'd opened up like a goddamn book, talking about everything his mind jumped between. His imagination was wild, and his dreams far wilder.

"You have a week, Mr. Stark," the social worker has said, "to decide. Aero is legally allowed to go with you. Or you can sign him over and we'll find him a nice, _safe_ home." She looked smug as she said it, as if she already had her answer. Tony had already decided, too — Aero shouldn't live with him. He was dangerous and irresponsible, not fit to be a dad. But that smug look on her face, matched with the hopeful expression on Aero's, changed Tony's mind.

A week. He would take Aero in for a week, and have his answer by the end of it.

Pepper had protested bringing him home, but Tony hadn't listened. She warned him that he would get attached, that his bond with Aero would cloud his judgment. He'd disagreed, at first, but Aero had grown on him the last six days. The kid was smart, and creative, and could do just about anything given the right resources. He spent his mornings and afternoons helping Tony in the lab, or playing with Dum-E and U when he wasn't needed. His evenings were spent doing puzzles with Pepper, and sometimes Tony would join them after dinner.

It was almost like they were a family. It was something he could get used to.

"You can't raise him, not in this life," Rhodey protested the next morning, but, by lunch, Tony sees him laughing with Aero, who tells wild tales of dragons and airplanes living in harmony, and teaming up to fight the evil wizard who threatened their peace. He catches Rhodey's eye over one his inventions in the lab, and Rhodey smiles. If he could change his mind in a matter of hours, Tony could change his by the end of the week, they both knew.

Happy sits with Aero during lunch and dinner, listening to Aero talk excitedly while making sure the kid remembers to eat. He puts up with Aero when Tony and Pepper are too busy, and when they come back they find Aero napping in the living room while Happy watches him, protecting Aero even when he doesn't need to, because he'll be damned if this kid gets hurt, Tony's son or not. And Tony sees this, appreciates it, and knows that Happy is thinking — Aero is a good kid. Maybe he'll even be good for Tony.

But if that doesn't work out, he'll be sure that Aero gets a good home. He'll oversee the process himself.

Pepper gets close, too. Tony hears her reading Aero to bed every night, and when he peaks into the guest room an hour later, she's asleep beside Aero, both of them looking peaceful. The therapist assigned to Aero had said that the kid would have nightmares for years, but he seemed calm whenever he felt safe.

Safe. Aero felt _safe_.

And, fuck, he can't get rid of this kid.

But the media has an outburst. Rumors fly, and reporters ask questions. They call Aero a bastard child, a secret son. They bring up Tony's past, say he's too irresponsible to raise a kid, to know how to take care of someone who's been hurt by so many people. They talk about Aero like he's a topic of gossip, not like he's a kid who just lost everything and gained freedom in the process.

They talk about Aero like they talked about Tony.

And, fuck, he can't raise this kid.

But Pepper takes his hand and leads him upstairs, shows him Aero, who sits on the living room floor and puts together a 5,000 piece puzzle in under four hours just to pass the time. And she leans her head on his shoulder, smiling as she looks at Aero, who looks up with a huge, goofy smile that only a kid who's been through hell could pull off, asking if they're going to join him because there are still several other puzzles to solve.

_"Yes," she says, determined, because Aero is smiling at _Tony_, and Tony is smiling back reflexively. "He'll be happy here. You'll be a good father."_

So when the social worker shows up the next morning, smug as can be, Tony has no issue wiping that grin off her face as he announces, yes, he'll be keeping Aero Stark.

And the way Aero lights up is worth every rumor.


	3. CHAPTER ONE

"Do you actually ever leave your lab? Do you ever sleep?" Aero asked, leaning against the door frame between the lab and the hallway, watching his dad tinker away at another project. Tony glanced up, opening his mouth to respond, but Aero quickly added, "And, no, sleeping on your desk totally doesn't count, Mom said so."

"And when did you get so sarcastic?" Tony asked. He motioned for Aero to help him, and Aero moved closer. "Hold these," he ordered, handing Aero a pair of pliers before using a wrench to tighten a bolt on his invention. Aero studied it, but he didn't really care enough to figure out what it was. Besides, he didn't come here to watch his dad tinker. He had a request to make.

"I've seen healthier looking corpses," Aero continued. His dad held out his hand, and Aero gave him back the pliers. "Have you practiced any self-care today?"

Tony sighed, setting down the pliers and looking up at Aero, who smiled sheepishly. "What's this about, kid?"

Aero bounced from his heels to his toes nervously. "Well ... I want to go to a real high school. Not an online one."

Tony frowned. "You know what Pepper's said about that before. Did you ask her?" Aero nodded. "And what'd she say?"

"...She said no."

"So why are you asking me?"

"Because she's not the boss of you?" Aero tried.

Tony chuckled, fully leaning up and shaking his head. "I know this is a trap, and you know that's not true." He smiled. "Props for trying, though." Aero groaned, dropping his head just so it almost touched the counter before he brought himself back up, resting his chin on his fist as he stared at his dad. "You know why you're not allowed to go, Aero," Tony said, more seriously.

Aero rolled his eyes. "Right. Freshman year, it was because of Ultron. This year, it's because the Avengers can't stop fighting. What's next year? Hostile alien invasion? I'm kidnapped? Maybe I even cause a scandal!" he snapped, voice echoing around the room. Tony stared at him, silent, and Aero finally relented. "Sorry," he said softly, not knowing where his sudden anger came from.

"It's fine, kid. Just don't roll your eyes at me." Aero scoffed, a small smile tugging at the edges of his mouth. "And, about a ... scandal," Tony began, almost uneasily. Aero looked up at him, confused. It wasn't like this dad to get nervous. Whatever he was about to say, he must've _really _been afraid. But of what? "You ... might not even be able to leave the house at all, soon," Tony rushed out.

Aero blinked, then scowled. "_What_? Why?"

Tony sighed, taking a seat. He motioned for Aero to do the same, and Aero sat down hesitantly, looking to his dad for answers. "It's about Maxine."

Aero's expression turned sour. "_Maxine_? What about her?"

"...She's been pardoned for good behavior."

Aero froze, mind racing. Maxine, released? For '_good behavior'_? What did that have to do with him? Sure, she was his birth mother, but he was done with her, wasn't he? He'd been done with her ever since she went to jail. Tony had taken him in, why did it matter if she was released or not? And how did this relate to him not being able to leave the house?

"So she might kidnap me?" he guessed.

Tony shook his head, which really _did _scare Aero. Normally, his dad would try to make a joke, just to make Aero feel better, even if this wasn't a laughing matter. "No. But she's ... she's fighting."

"Fighting," Aero echoed.

"For the rights to you. To see you. Keep you. Permanently," Tony stammered, getting quieter.

Aero dug his nails into his palms. "But ... but she can't! She doesn't _get_ to do that!" he snapped, slamming his hands onto the table. "That isn't _fair_! She fucked up, she can't just waltz in here and take back what isn't her's!" He took a deep breath, sitting back down. When had he stood up? Why did his hands sting so much?

"She's arguing that there's no proof she abused you. That I planned the whole thing so I could get you as a publicity stunt."

"You didn't even know I existed until she was in jail! She's _crazy_!"

"_I _know that, kid! Pepper knows that, _you _know that! But not everyone else does." Tony pinched the bridge of his nose, sighing. "We're fighting back, obviously. I'm not letting her take you, got that? You're staying here," Tony said. Aero nodded, swallowing thickly. "Okay. Rule one, then. Don't cause any trouble. Stay inside. No clubs. No parties." He held up his finger and pointed at Aero almost accusingly. "_No girls._"

Aero smiled bitterly. "Shouldn't be a problem. I don't have any friends anyway."

"Aero," Tony warned, but Aero barely listened. An idea had just stuck him.

"Dad, won't it look _suspicious_ if you keep me locked inside all day?" Aero asked, pleading with the universe that he would be able to convince his dad, just this once, that he was right. "I'll make friends. I'll tell you every detail, every day. Just _please _let me go to a real school. I'll run all my plans by you! _Please_," he begged.

Tony groaned. "If you get into any trouble, any at all, you could end up back with her. It's not my final call, kid. You have to understand that."

"And I _do_," Aero said, "but _you _have to understand where I'm coming from, too. You were my age once."

Tony stared at him over the desk, quiet. Aero deflated slightly, wondering where he'd gone wrong, before Tony finally sighed heavily. "I'll talk to Pepper," he agreed.

Aero perked up, grinning brightly. "_Seriously_?" he asked softly. Tony nodded. "Thank you, thank you, _thank you, _you are the _best dad ever_!" he cheered, moving around the desk to envelop his dad into a hug. Tony chuckled, patting his arm gently as Aero pulled away. "You're _seriously_ the best," Aero continued, heading for the door. He pointed to Tony as he walked out. "Thank you!"

The door closed behind him as he ran out, too happy for anything to bring him down.

[ _i imagined the secret of happiness _]

Aero loved to keep secrets.

It was almost like a game to him — like, how long could he go, keeping this huge secret before the media found out? His second longest run was four years, and that was just keeping the biggest secret of his life. His shortest run had to be two minutes, and that was only because his mom always had ways of weaseling his dad's secrets out of him.

His longest run had to be keeping his musical talent a secret for nine years, and not just from the media. From Martin, his parents, _everyone_. It's not like he had anything to be ashamed over. So he was prodigy. And? And, well, his dad was a scientist. And his mom was a CEO. And his (ex-)best friend was already a published writer. His uncle was a colonel in the military, and his other uncle had _seven __PhDs. _Hell, his _aunt _was — or, well, used to be — an _assassin._ Music ... didn't offer a lot for Aero, not in his family's eyes, and certainly not in his own.

So he kept it secret.

Ever since he was ten, Aero had his sights set on Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts — or, well, FHLGHSMAPA, which is in itself a mouthful. And, yes, Midtown School of Science and Technology — MSST — is far easier to pronounce and get through in one breath. But Aero didn't _want _easier — he was _tired _of easier. Just having his last name made everything easier. Hell, he did complicated puzzles for fun, just so things _wouldn't _be easy. He argued with his mom because it was _fun_, and because he knew that _she _knew he was just having fun, and not actually trying to get into trouble.

But trouble always rose up when he tried talking to his mom.

He had already had a proposal planned — FHLGHSMAPA. He would reveal his talents and plead to be sent to Fiorello, and his parents would surely see sense and allow him to follow his dreams despite the fact that his ambitions didn't fit their perfect image. So he'd compromise — he'd study science in university. Get a career. Just as long as he could attend Fiorello, just as long as he could live out his dream of playing guitar in front of thousands of people ... while inventing things, of course.

But Pepper already had her own plans.

"Midtown School of Science and Technology," she said, bringing up pictures of the school on the Apple TV in the small living space at the compound. "Established in 1962. Notable. _Private_. And perfect for you," she informed him, though he could hear just how dissatisfied she was with the idea of him going to any real school, just in the way she spoke, and how she wouldn't turn to look at him as she told him about Midtown to see his reaction. He couldn't blame her. He didn't exactly want to go to MSST, either.

"Or—"

"No 'or,'" she cut in, turning to face him. "This is the best possible location."

"But it's ... it's so far from the compound!" he protested, though, really, Fiorello wasn't much closer. "They'd never let me go there. I'm not in the district area!"

"We can pull a few strings," Pepper said, code for 'you're a Stark. Are they _really_ going to deny you?' Which, yeah, _okay_. Aero could live in Germany and they'd still accept him based on his last name alone. He could never show up and they'd still call his name during the graduation ceremony.

"But there's this one school—"

"Aero," Pepper warned. He closed his mouth, nodding. "This is the closest school to us that fits your talents. If you're going to any sort of real school, it's this one," she insisted. "And ... you can start next week."

"Next _week_?" he asked. He knew she was good, but, seriously, a private school letting him in nearly halfway through the first semester? _Unheard of_!

"Yes. So you can either agree, or stay in online school," she said. He leaned back into the couch, wishing he could disappear. "You'll need to take an elective."

"What do they have?" he asked, almost in disinterest. Maybe they _could_ pull a few strings, just so he wouldn't have to take an elective.

"—photography, band," Pepper was listing. He sat up. _Band?_ "What? Photography?"

"Band," he corrected. At her curious look, he shrugged. "It sounds the most interesting." She sighed, shaking her head, but nodded, standing up.

"Get some rest, then, okay? We'll talk more about school tomorrow." She kissed the top of his forehead before exiting the room, leaving Aero behind.

He sighed. Right. This was fine. Perfectly fine. He started at a school he'd never even heard of next week, and he'd be alone. He'd be alone at Fiorello, too, he rationalized, but at least he would feel like he belonged. Music and geeks, that was his scene, not rich kids and science nerds. Sure, he'd be in band — but what was _band _going to do for him? He couldn't show off his talents in a school band.

That was a lie. He totally could, he just didn't want to. He preferred guitar, even though his talents extended to multiple instruments. Piano, drums, flute. He was even a half-decent singer, certainly good enough to land him a leading role in a school musical, but not good enough that he would have record lable clamoring to get him to sign with them. Though, with his last name, he supposed it didn't matter whether or not he could sing, they'd want him just for the publicity.

And that sucked. _A lot._ He wanted to be recognized for something _other_ than his last name. He didn't want to be just another genius with the last name Stark, he wanted to a musical master with the first name Aero. Writing music, playing it, singing — _that_ was what he wanted. Inventions, chemicals, tech — that was his nightmare, falling into the same career that every other Stark before him had done. He was sick of it.

But he didn't think his opinion mattered. After all, he was always going to be a kid before he was Aero, in his parents' eyes.

And maybe they were right.

Maybe this _was_ the best option.

[_ the secret of happiness is not to mourn the past _]

It was already in the headlines.

Maxine Adams was suing her one night stand, Tony Stark, for the rights to see their child.

Aero was outside the compound, away from the endless phone calls between the lawyers and his parents, the news vans outside the compound, and the reporters that kept trying to get inside to interview him and his parents. He was hidden behind one of the walls, sprawled out on his jacket, watching the grass move with the breeze as a numb feeling spread throughout him.

It's not like he'd doubted his dad. But he'd doubted that Maxine even had the guts to complain to whatever friends she still had about her situation, never mind actually file a lawsuit against _Tony Stark, _of all people, especially because she'd been in the wrong the whole time, always had been. So to pick up the morning newspaper, to glance at the front page before his parents could stop him, and see that Maxine had decided that she _did _have guts — well, it was like he was shot, then resurrected, then shot again.

So now he stayed outside, enjoying the quiet. And the numb. And praying this wouldn't change the school plans, because, despite everything going wrong, he still wanted to attend a real school, Fiorello or not, crazy woman or otherwise.

"You alright?"

Aero turned his head to look up, and saw his uncle standing over him.

He sighed, sitting up and stretching before getting up and collecting his jacket. He looked up at his uncle curiously. "I'm fine. When'd you get here?" he asked, putting his back against the wall. He pulled himself onto it before getting to his feet once more, not wanting to inconvenience his uncle even further. It was bad enough that he felt the need to come outside to check on Aero. It would be worse if Aero made him get down off a wall five feet off the ground.

"Soon as I saw the headline. Wanted to make sure you're okay," Rhodey said, putting a hand on Aero's shoulder. Aero jerked back. "I'm guessing you're not."

"I just said I was, didn't I?" Aero snapped. He sighed heavily, rubbing his temples. "Sorry."

"I've put up with enough of Tony's bullshit to know when you're lying," Rhodey said, apparently not going to comment on Aero's outburst. "Do you wanna take a walk?"

Aero shook his head. "I just ... want to sleep," he said, which wasn't the truth. He wanted to lock himself in his room and play the Mean Girls musical at full volume to drown out the sounds of his dad's phone ringing as another lawyer called him to discuss possibly representing the Stark family in this lawsuit.

And even though there was no _possible _way Rhodey knew that, he nodded like he did.

"Come on, then. I'll walk you back," he offered. Aero nodded, not in the mood to argue. Besides, it would be nice, talking with his uncle, at least one of them. Bruce was still missing, obviously, and that broke Aero's heart to even think about. And he couldn't exactly talk with his aunt, since Natasha was still on the run with Steve and the rest of Team Captain America. So he walked with his uncle back through the compound, allowing himself to be lead to his own room, because he could barely tell left from right at the moment.

"Stark!" a woman called, and even the voice sent a chill through Aero's bones. He turned slightly, hesitant, but it was only a reporter who'd managed to get through security. She waved a notepad at him, and Aero was frozen where he stood, even as Rhodey told him to move, that they should go. He was right, of course. They should go. Now, Before she got closer, before she could ask her questions, the ones about his mom, the ones he wouldn't be able to answer, not really.

Before he could get into any trouble.

"Aero Stark," she said, and it was like he was snapped out of his trance.

"No comments at this time," he said easily, turning away. He caught the proud look on Rhodey's face, and it made him feel better.

"Wait, _wait_," she pleaded, grabbing his arm and pulling him back. "Can I just ask one question, please?"

"That was it. That was your question," he said coldly, pulling his arm out of her grip. "Security!" he called over his shoulder. He glanced up at Rhodey, who put a hand against his back and led Aero away from the woman, who continuously called after him even as security dragged her away. "What was her name?" he asked softly. She couldn't have been older than he was — she certainly looked like a high school student. What kind of reporter _was_ she?

"Her name tag just said B," Rhodey informed him. "Why?"

Aero shrugged. "Dunno. Just wondering," he answered. They continued down the hall until they found his room. He opened the door and walked inside, already feeling at home. "Thanks for walking me," he said, just as a little hint to his uncle that he wanted to be alone.

Rhodey stared at him, then nodded. "You call me if you need anything. Anything at _all_, okay?" Aero nodded. Rhodey sighed and closed the door behind him. Aero assumed he was now on a mission to find Tony and Pepper and talk to _them _as well. Hopefully not about him, but most likely, because what else _would_ they talk about?

"Erika Henningsen, give me strength," he said in exasperation as he connected his phone to the Bluetooth speaker on his desk. It beeped in greeting, and he clicked through his YouTube app until he found his playlists, then scrolled all the way down until he found the Mean Girls one. He picked the first song that caught his attention, then threw his phone onto his bed and fell down beside it, running his hands through his hair in frustration.

"_I'm sixteen / Living in paradise / With the lions and birds and stuff / But I'm sixteen / And it's not enough._"

Aero snorted. "Try living in paradise a fifteen with no company and no opinion," he responded, talking over the song.

He was talking. To a song.

Jesus _Christ_.

[_ happiness comes as a total surprise _]

It was Saturday morning, and Aero still hadn't left his room.

His couldn't blame his parents for not looking for him, but he still hoped they would have been, just a little bit. He had also hoped that Rhodey would knock on his door and demand that Aero at least come out to eat breakfast. He wanted his mom to knock of the door and tell Aero that they still had to discuss school; he was going to be attending in two days, after all.

But that didn't happen. Of course it didn't, why would it? He had all the luck in the world. Concern was asking too much.

Of course, Aero knew he was acting like a brat, pretending this was all about him. In a way, it was, but it was mostly about his family, the one Maxine was trying to break up. He should leave his room, eat a salad or something. Anything to stop moping, like he didn't have anything better to do.

His mom was at the kitchen table, looking over legal documents with his dad. Tony stood over her shoulder, pointing out random things in the papers. She would wave him away every time, telling him that she needed to focus. And Tony would smile, just to himself, before doing it again. They both looked like they hadn't slept in three days — his mom's hair was a mess, and his dad had bags so deep under his eyes that he looked like he'd been in another fight.

Aero smiled. He couldn't give this up.

"Hey, kid," Tony greeted. He nodded to the counter, where a plate of waffles sat. "Those are yours."

"Which one of you made them?" he asked suspiciously. His dad couldn't cook, and his mom was the same way. One of his earliest childhood memories was the two of them almost starting a fire at Stark Tower when trying to make dinner. Still, the food wasn't burnt, and there wasn't the smell of fire in the kitchen, so he assumed _someone else _had to have made these, or one of his parents got good at cooking overnight. Or, the last three nights.

"Rhodey," Tony said. "He just left, actually, but he said to be sure you eat those."

"Will do, boss," Aero said, taking a bite. He smiled. "He's a good cook."

"Kept me alive through college, that's for sure," Tony said before turning back to look at the documents. "So she's _claiming_ that—" Pepper cleared her throat, nodding to Aero, who put his hands up in defense and nearly dropped his plate. Tony sighed. "Right. Kid?"

"Yeah, yeah," Aero sighed, walking out. He didn't bother to try hiding to listen. He didn't want to know what Maxine was claiming, anyway, because it was all a bunch of bullshit, and that would be proven, and things would go back to normal. Well, as normal as the Avengers compound would get, anyway.

But he also _did _want to know what was happening. Just so he wasn't in the dark.

He paused in front of the big glass windows overlooking the front of the compound. There were a few, maybe twenty, news vans camped outside, and nearly two hundred security personal trying to push them back, and threatening them to get away from the compound before they called the cops. He took a bite of his waffles as he turned, continuing to his room.

He stopped outside his dad's lab and paused. He wasn't exactly _banned_, was he? He just ... wanted to see, that's all. See if anything was left around — inventions, blueprints, legal documents pertaining to a certain lawsuit ... you know, normal stuff!

He set his plate down on the first desk he found, looking around. It felt weird, being in the lab while in his pajamas. And the lab was always a shock to him — it was bigger than the one at Stark Tower, where he'd basically grown up. So, no, wearing pajamas in the lab didn't feel weird — it was the lab itself.

He missed Stark Tower. He still wasn't sure why they'd moved, but he missed it, even if his room was a carbon copy of the one back there, even if the only thing that has changed is the location. His childhood was at the tower — not the one with Maxine, but his _actual_ childhood, where he was _treated _like a kid and allowed to _act_ like one.

He ran his hand along one of the desks as he circled it, sitting in the chair. He searched it carefully, not wanting to leave a single stone unturned. When he found nothing, he moved onto another desk, and then another. He must've went through five desks before he found what he was looking for — Tony's copy of the lawsuit, with Maxine's claims listed in full detail, for anyone to see.

She claimed that she was framed. _False. _She said that she wasn't abusing Aero, she was just giving him chores around the house — surely that didn't equal abuse. _It does when all you're doing is collecting food stamps while I'm making sure the rest is paid and the house is in order because you were too busy getting high, _Aero thought bitterly, shaking his head. She said yelling didn't equal abuse, but it sure as hell did in his book, at least emotionally, and he _definitely _had trauma because of it. She claimed that Tony Stark had set her up because he'd found out about Aero and needed a way to stay popular with the media, and a child was the perfect trick.

Which was bullshit. Aero knew his dad, and Tony was a _horrible _actor. He didn't know about Aero. There was no way he would have found out, either, because the only person who knew about Aero's dad was Maxine and the doctor who had signed the birth certificate. Why would a doctor tell Tony about Aero eight years after he was born?

The list went on and on. Aero put the papers down, leaning his elbows on the table as he rubbed his temples as, trying to think.

He suddenly realized why they didn't want him knowing what Maxine had claimed. It was too much. Not the list itself, but the emotions and bad memories it brought.

Aero stood up, taking a deep breath. He organized the desk exactly as he'd found it before he left the room, intent on sleeping until Monday, when he'd finally start at Midtown School of Science and Technology. He was finally going to a real school, where he'd surely be the talk of the fucking town, but not just for his last name, fortunately. Or unfortunately, because now he was going in the middle of a custody battle, and they wouldn't be talking Aero _Stark_, they'd being talking Aero Stark, the kid in the middle of the biggest coverage child custody battle to date.

He always wanted people to talk about him without using the name Stark.

He also always had such terrible timing for these kinds of things.


	4. CHAPTER TWO

Aero had only ever met one man he'd call truly trustworthy, and that man was Harold Joseph Hogan.

Happy had been protecting him since he was a kid, ever since Aero had first stepped into Tony's life. He'd put up with Aero's weird ideas and pranks, and never once raised his voice in a threatening matter, even when Aero accidently pissed him off. He was also the most loyal man Aero had ever met — injured on the job, because of Tony, and he still stuck around to make sure Tony was okay. Personal bodyguard to Tony Stark, then head of security, then asset manager, and he was still taking care of Aero now, even though he had another job and didn't need to bother with Aero anymore.

Sure, there were a lot of trustworthy people in Aero's life — his mom, his dad, his uncles. But no one came close to his godfather.

Happy was protective. A blessing and a curse.

"Come on, I won't tell her," Aero begged, looking longingly at one of the less eye-catching cars in the garage. "She'll never know! Just say you dropped me off," he added.

"I'm not letting you drive yourself to school on your first day," Happy said. "Now get in the car."

Aero groaned and made a show of unhappiness, but he climbed into the backseat of the car. He put his backpack next to him before buckling himself in, glancing up briefly when Happy got into the driver's seat before he turned to stare out the window. "Are these tinted?" he asked, noticing that there was a distinct color difference between the world outside his window and the world outside the windshield. He'd just seen the car yesterday, and the windows hadn't been tinted then. But now they were.

Happy nodded. "You hate when they're not," he told him, checking the mirrors.

Aero smiled. "Thanks," he said honestly. They began to drive, and Aero turned again to look out the window, curious as to what roads they would take. He didn't expect to go through the front gate, where news vans were still parked out. He could see some reporters scrambling onto their feet, or getting outside their vans to get a look at whoever was in the car, only to realize that the tinted windows prevented them from seeing if Happy was driving Pepper, Tony, Aero, or was just by himself.

Aero sunk down in his seat anyway, not wanting to risk it.

"I think this is a bad idea," Happy announced as they got onto the main road to the city.

"Everyone does," Aero argued. "But I've never even had a friend my age. I want to meet people. Experience stuff. What's the point of being a Stark if I'm just going to be hidden from the world?"

Happy glanced at him in the rear-view mirror. "What about that one kid, uh, Austin? Austin Anderson?"

Aero scowled, crossing his arms and sitting back. "Martin Emerson," he corrected. "And, no, he doesn't count. I don't talk to him anymore."

Happy shrugged. "Maybe you should. What'd he do?"

Aero hesitated. He didn't want to give too much away, but if thought Happy was trustworthy, he had least had to tell a half-truth. "I ... told him something personal, and he threatened to tell everyone else unless I stopped talking to him," he said. Happy didn't respond; Aero wondered what he was thinking. He didn't underestimate Happy's intelligence — if anyone could figure out the secret meaning behind Aero's words, it would be him.

Probably because he was the same way.

"Well, that sucks. Am I going to have to pre-screen all the kids you meet before they can be your friends?"

Aero laughed, shaking his head. "Hope not. Maybe. I heard kids my age are monsters."

"Oh, they're terrible," Happy agreed. "Rude, snooty. Nothing like you."

"They better not be, I'm trying to get away from the people Dad interacts with," Aero said, referring to Happy's former descriptions of the kids. "Have you ever met anyone my age? Like, actually?" Happy nodded. "What were they like?"

"He was too excited," Happy said.

Aero leaned forward, ignoring the way the seat belt dug into his chest a bit. "Too ... happy?"

He laughed, leaning back in his seat as Happy groaned. "Sorry, bad joke," he said, still giggling.

"Very," Happy agreed. They both lapsed into a comfortable silence. Aero sat back and watched the city pass them by as they drove. A glance at the car clock told him it was only 6:45, 45 minutes before he was actually set to be at school. He'd wanted an early start, just to find his classes, and it had seemed like a good idea at the time, but now he was yawning as his tiredness caught up with him. He only hoped he wouldn't fall asleep in class. _That _would be a terrible impression on his first day. It wouldn't be as terrible as showing up to school in a limo, but it was up there.

He had to marvel at that for a moment — the only reason he'd wanted to drive himself to school was because he didn't want to show up in a limo. And Happy had obviously realized that, and made sure they got into a less noticeable ride, and had gotten the windows tinted for Aero, too. It was still expensive and flashy, but it wasn't a limo. It was ... more of a rich soccer mom kind of van, the kind that most kids at the school probably drove themselves. Notable, but unnoticeable.

Aero smiled at Happy, knowing the man wasn't paying attention.

Soon, they pulled into the school parking lot. Aero already had his hand on the door handle and his backpack on, when he froze.

"Second thoughts?" Happy asked, turning to look at him.

Aero swallowed back a wave of nervousness, nodding. For anyone else, he would have scoffed and gotten off the car just to prove how not scared he was. But this was Happy, and he couldn't lie to him, or hide just how scared he really was. "I, uh, yeah. Nervous. New school. New kid. Me, I'm the new kid," he stammered, taking his hand off the handle. "How many kids do you think are going to be here this early?"

"Not many," Happy promised. He gave Aero a reassuring look. "Do you want me to take you home?"

"No. No way," Aero protested, quiet. "I'm fine," he added.

He put his hand on the handle again and pulled, opening the car door easily. He stepped out of the car and looked around, seeing that there weren't many cars in the parking lot, and they all looked like they belonged to the teachers. There were a few students milling around, some of them talking with each other, but, other than that, there was no one, certainly not a mob that would stare at him. They'd probably just glance at him, and either recognize him or not.

He ducked his head back into the car and smiled. "Ready."

"Stay safe, kid. I'll pick you up," Happy said.

Aero nodded. He closed the door, turned toward the school, and walked inside.

[ _did you ever get a feeling  
everybody else is happy_ ]

The secretary had instructed Aero to wait outside the principal's office. Aero could only wonder what he'd done this time, considering school hadn't even started yet and it was only his first day.

As he stood outside the office, waiting for the principal to arrive, Aero studied his list of classes and the school map, which was framed outside the office. He wasn't looking forward to physics with Ms. Warren, but who actually liked physics? Not him. But her class was just across from Coach Wilson's class, the gym. First and second period were easy to find, then. After a short break, third period had Aero at Dr. Rosewell's class, English, which Aero was actually looking forward to. Then Mr. Harrington's class, where Aero would be for science.

After lunch was Mr. Cobbwell's chemistry class, and then band with Ms. Cambell, the only other class besides English that he was looking forward to, for obvious reasons. "So if I go directly from Cobbwell's to Cambell's, no breaks, I should make it there with a minute to spare," Aero muttered aloud, tracing his path through the school. "And that's only if everyone in the hallway is fast and doesn't stop to chat," he added, backtracking. "But if I leave out the front of the school and run along here—" He traced a path around the side of the school with his finger "—then I'll get there with five minutes to spare."

"Excellent work." Aero jumped, startled, and turned to face a tall man standing in front of him. "Time management is very important." The man smiled, holding out his hand. "Principal Morita," he introduced.

Aero shook his hand. "Aero. Stark," he added, though he was sure the man knew who he was. "Miss Lydia told me to wait for you."

Morita nodded. "Right. We just have to go over a few requests from your parents, and then I can send you on your way. You're not in any trouble," he assured, seeing the look of relief that crossed Aero's face. "Come inside."

Aero sat in front of the desk in a plush blue chair, watched Morita as the man circled the desk halfway before sitting across from him. Aero got the slight feeling that the man felt intimidated, and tried to sit in a way that showed Morita had more authority. Aero was just a kid — he didn't want his last name to scare the man in front of him. "My parents made requests?" he prompted, wanting to get this over with.

Pepper and Tony had obviously made requests. Of _course _they had, why wouldn't they? But Aero wasn't as annoyed as he thought he would be, surprisingly. Even if they couldn't drive him on his first day, they still made sure they were with him, somehow. And that was the most reassuring thing Aero had heard all day.

"Right!" Morita said, taking a paper off his desk. He leaned back in his chair as he looked it over. "So, if Maxine Adams is seen on campus at all, we have to get you off school grounds." He glanced up, and Aero nodded to show he was listening. "If you start failing any of your classes, or you exhibit any strange behavior, we have to tell them immediately." Aero nodded again. Made sense, for the most part, but what counted as 'strange behavior' to his parents? Acting secretive, like he was hiding something, or a personality change?

"If you're seen hanging around any bad influences, we have to tell them," Morita continued. Aero frowned. "I'm taking that to mean ... kids who are failing their classes, skipping school, possibly on drugs," the man added quietly. Aero nodded slowly.

"Any ideas on who I should stay away from?" he asked.

Morita sighed. "Well, yes, but that would be revealing secrets about students that aren't mine to reveal," he said. "But if the situation arises, I'll make sure your parents know that you had no idea." Aero nodded, and motioned for him to continue. "If any reporters show up, we can't let them inside the school, but there's nothing stopping them from waiting off grounds and getting pictures of you," he said, almost apologetically.

Aero waved his concern away. "I'm used to that sort of stuff, don't worry," he said, but it felt like that only served to increase Morita's worry. "Is that everything?"

The man sighed and nodded, standing up. Aero did the same. "Have a good year, Aero. Don't make me call you back to this office."

Aero grinned. "Wouldn't dream of it, sir," he said.

He walked into the hall, noting that there were definitely more people now than before. He ducked his head and walked into the crowd, praying that no one was looking at him. Or _for _him, even. Had the news even gotten out yet, about him attending school? About him arriving at Midtown? Maybe everyone thought he was still at home, and he could have another normal twenty minutes before his name was called out in front of the class.

He wondered, briefly, if he was going to have to say an interesting fact about himself while standing in front of the class. Hi, my name is Aero Stark. There's a fun fact — Stark. Take that as you will. Or, _Fun fact: I'm a musical prodigy. _Or even, _Hi. I'm Aero. Fun fact: if you try to talk to me about my dad, I'll probably avoid you for the next three years! _If he even made it to three years, he rationalized. This wasn't his dream school, and that was bound to come out at some point — and then his mom would either force him to spill his secret, or he would go back to online schooling. Maybe even both, if he was so unlucky.

He looked over the heads of the crowd and noticed that he was approaching his first period class. Aero ducked inside, surprised to find it open, and looked at the front of the room, where Ms. Warren was standing. She turned to look at him when she heard the door close, and raised an eyebrow.

"Hi. I'm Aero," he said. This woman gave off an air of authority, even when he said his name. Finally, someone who wasn't intimidated by him. "Early start. Can I stay in here before school starts?" he asked.

Ms. Warren sighed, but nodded. She picked a clipboard up from her desk and looked it over. "You'll be sitting ... there," she said, pointing to one of the desks near the door. He approached it and put a hand on the corner seat. She nodded, and he quickly sat down. "Not a fan of crowds, are you?"

"When you're a Stark, it's hard to go unnoticed," he quipped.

"Don't think you'll get any special treatment from me," she said, almost amusingly.

"I wouldn't _dream _of it. The whole point in me coming here is to at least _try _to be normal," he told her.

She nodded. "Good. Well, it's a new week, and we have a project due by the end of it, but I won't hold you to that. Only because you're new," she added, seeing that Aero was about to protest. "But you can do make-up work for it throughout the week."

He smiled and nodded. "Sounds great," he agreed. He wondered who the students would be, and if he would get along with any of them.

But he needed to focus on being unnoticed for as long as possible, right now. Friends could come later.

[ _it's a very recent feeling  
but it's running through my body_ ]

"A current runs through a wire and generates a magnetic field. The magnetic field is in the clockwise direction in the plane of your computer screen. What is the direction of the current?" Ms. Warren asked, writing the question onto the board. She turned to face the class, and looked around, waiting for someone to raise their hand. "No? Flash," she said, looking to a boy who sat near the front of the room.

"Uh, out of the screen," the boy — Flash — guessed.

"Nope," Ms. Warren said. She looked around the room. "Anyone else?" Aero bit his lip, considering. He knew the answer, it was one of the first things Tony had taught him when he was a kid — magnetism and electromagnetism, to be exact, not this question, obviously. Figuring that the had nothing to lose, Aero raised his hand. "Aero," Ms. Warren called, and he could swear that the whole class turned to look back at him.

"Into the screen," he said.

"Correct," Ms. Warren said, turning back to the board. The class didn't follow her lead, most of them still staring at Aero, some in disbelief, others in admiration. Aero rolled his eyes, then lowered them, staring at his desk in front of him so intensely that he wondered if he might burn a hole in it. "Class. Eyes up here," Ms. Warren snapped. Aero glanced up again, and saw the class turn to look at her.

He let his eyes wander. The boy he'd corrected was facing the front of the room now, but Aero could have sworn he had been glaring at him while Aero's head was down. There was a girl sitting next to him, her blonde hair falling over her shoulders, and she smiled in greeting at him before turning her eyes back onto the board. Aero did the same, fighting back a smile of his own. At least he knew one kid didn't care who he was.

His eyes flickered over to the other side of the room, the one with Flash. He let his eyes fall on a different boy, who had chestnut brown hair and was wearing a light blue sweater over what looked to be a yellow and blue checkered flannel. The sweater almost matched his jeans, if the lighting was right. Aero could barely see his face — he was at an angle, and the boy was facing forward, like everyone else.

Well, he _was_. Aero had just enough time to see the boy frown in confusion before he turned around and met Aero's eyes.

Oh.

Oh no.

He was really pretty.

Aero ducked his head, ears burning, but he could feel the boy still staring at him. If he looked up again, they'd meet eyes, and Aero was sure his face was already as red as a cherry, and he didn't want to look like he was having a heat stroke, especially in front of a boy with pretty brown eyes and hair that looked super soft and a dorky sense of style that worked well on him.

Then the feeling stopped.

Aero looked up and saw that the boy had gone back to facing forward. He sighed, shifting in his seat and trying to listen to Ms. Warren once again. What had felt like a lifetime had only been ten seconds, and there were still twenty minutes left of class.

Aero had watched a lot of high school movies before, and he'd always felt like that moment where the girl sees the hot guy was cliche. There's no way time slowed down the way it did, or the eye contact was as intense as they made it seem like. But now that he'd just experienced that for himself, Aero knew the embarrassment that followed after the two main characters had turned away — he was feeling it himself. The horrible embarrassment that made him want to crawl out of his own skin.

A boy! A _cute_ boy! And he'd totally made a fool out of himself! What! The! Hell!

It was almost a blessing when the bell rang. Aero left the room faster than he ever had before and bolted into the gym. The only other person inside was Coach Wilson, who gave Aero a weird look. Aero dropped his greeting smile, which he knew must have looked fake.

"Hi, I'm— I'm Aero. This is gym class, right?" he asked.

Wilson nodded. "Ah, yeah. You don't have your gym clothes yet, do you?" Aero shook his head, fidgeting. Great. That boy had gotten him nervous. "That's fine, you can buy them later. But normally, you'll go through the locker rooms, change, and come out here for roll call," he explained. Aero nodded. "You can take a seat on the benches until we start," the man added, pointing to a set of bleachers in the corner of the room.

Aero did as he was told, sitting down and putting his backpack by his feet. Slowly, other students started trickling in, some of them glancing at him nervously. He noted that they tried to sit as far away as possible, and tried his best not to look annoyed at that.

Then a girl sat next to him, her nose buried in a book.

She had frizzy brown hair, but it looked almost purposeful. They didn't talk, didn't even look at each other, but Aero got the feeling that she understood his lonliness and was trying to show him that he wasn't alone in her own way. And he supposed it worked, because he definitely felt less annoyed now than a few minutes ago.

A sense of calm settled over him.

And then the pretty boy walked in with his friend.

Aero quickly looked away, glancing up at the ceiling as if demanding the universe correct its mistake. Just exactly how many classes did they have in common, and why the hell had it been decided that Aero would get flustered around _this_ boy? The boy couldn't have been less than fifty feet from him, but Aero still felt blood rising to his face, and he couldn't help but stare, just for a moment, just until the boy looked up and nearly caught him staring.

Aero took a deep breath, shook his head, and tried to focus. Coach Wilson began playing a video — a stupid Captain America Fitness Challenge that Aero had had the pleasure of laughing at with his dad. And maybe he was being biased, calling the videos stupid, but Steve Rogers had hurt his dad, and Aero wasn't going to forgive that very easily.

Students began standing up and getting with partners, Aero assumed to do the fitness challenge Rogers had talked about. He caught Coach Wilson's eye, but the man shook his head, motioning that Aero could stay where he was. Aero did — he didn't care if it looked like special treatment, or even if it _was _special treatment. He didn't want to get sweaty in clothes that weren't meant to worn when exercising, and he had a feeling Wilson knew that, and _that _was why he was allowing Aero to sit this one out.

Unless it went deeper, and Wilson knew that Iron Man's son didn't want to do a challenged issued by Captain America.

_Oh, so this is why you need friends. So your mind doesn't wander into weird territory, _he thought, shaking his head.

Speaking of weird territory, Pretty Boy was staring at him again, this time unprompted. Aero smiled, lowering his head. God, this boy was making him smile! Him! Aero! Smiling! Aero wanted to see him smile, too, just for a second, just so he could get the feeling of his heart melting in his chest because, damn, Pretty Boy really _was_ a pretty boy, wasn't he?

Now if only Aero knew his name.

"You're staring," the girl next to him noted.

Aero blinked, then looked at her, ears burning. She glanced at him with a raised eyebrow. "Uh. No. I'm not," he argued, stammering. "Who're you?"

"Michelle." She nodded to him as he went to introduce himself. "You're Aero."

"Right."

"That's Peter," she said, turning to nod at Pretty Boy, who had gotten with his friend to do curl-ups. "Parker," she added, just for his benefit.

Aero smiled at the name. "Thanks."

"He's straight."

Aero scoffed. "Really?"

Michelle shrugged. "Actually, I don't know. You could ask him. You know, like a normal person."

Aero looked at her, then, and she went back to reading her book. She was observant, he realized. Like, gifted intelligence level of observant. He turned away, wondering how she'd known that he had wondered what Pretty Boy's name was — _Peter Parker_, he thought to himself — and if she knew his four-year-old secret, because no one would logically comment on Parker's sexuality unless they knew Aero was interested in knowing.

But no one knew. Not Tony. Or Pepper. Or Rhodey. Not even Happy knew. So how did she?


	5. CHAPTER THREE

Peter Parker is the only name on Aero's mind. Well, other than band practice, but that felt like it was years away compared to every other class of Aero's. Because, well, Aero had every class with Peter Parker.

It was weird, but true. Aero couldn't exactly keep his eyes off him, so it wasn't difficult to spot him in every period.

He sat across the room in Ms. Warren's class, and near the front of the bleachers when Aero sat in the back. But he sat only a row forward in Dr. Rosewell's class, and was in the same row and only two seats away in Mr. Harrignton's class. Aero had skipped lunch and went directly to Mr. Cobbwell's class, partly because he didn't want to deal with people staring at him for thirty-five minutes, and partly because he didn't want to keep looking at Peter from wherever he was sitting. Mostly, though, it was because he didn't want to sit alone.

Really, no one would be able to keep their eyes off of him, but none of them would approach him, and they certainly wouldn't sit with him. Maybe that one girl would, Michelle, or maybe the girl he'd sat next to in Ms. Warren's class would take pity on him, but Aero didn't want to count on two people who barely knew him and who he didn't know at all.

So he sat in Mr. Cobbwell's class, in the back of the room, where he'd been told he would be sitting until the second semester.

He brought out his phone and went to Instagram, scrolling through his feed in utter boredom. He switched to Twitter, then Tumblr, barely able to sit still. He didn't realize how long thirty-five minutes was until he was sitting still for all of them, in silence because the teacher was too afraid to talk to him. He didn't totally mind — it was better than being asked about his dad. But it was ... boring, to say the least.

Then his phone started ringing.

It was his dad. Facetiming him. His dad was trying to facetime him.

Aero frowned, staring at his phone screen. He stood up and went into the hall before he answered it, not wanting to freak out Cobbwell even more than the man already was, and also wanting a little privacy because, well, his dad had never facetimed him before. Aero wasn't even sure they'd had a phone call, considering he'd never given his dad a reason to call him. So what changed? Why was his dad calling — no, facetiming him? Facetiming was worse, wasn't it?

"Hello?" he asked, dragging the word out. From the background behind Tony, Aero guessed that his dad was still at the compound, in the lab. But he was dressed in one of his nicer suits and looked like he was just leaving. "You got a meeting?" he asked, before Tony could say anything.

"Yeah, nothing important," Tony said quickly. Aero scoffed, knowing that the meeting had something to do with Maxine, surely.

"Cool. Why'd you call me?" he asked, though he realized he shouldn't be so snippy, and he really shouldn't have wanted the call to end so soon because, once the call ended, he'd have to go back to a boring classroom or risk looking _really _weird to any passing students and teachers by sitting outside the room.

"Whoa, calm the attitude," Tony warned. Aero smiled. "That's better." He squinted, looking at the space behind Aero. "Where _are _you?"

"Outside a classroom?" Aero said hesitantly, leaning against the wall.

"Isn't it lunch time?"

"Whoa, did your dad instincts go off or something?" Aero asked. He sighed when Tony gave him a pointed look. "Yeah, but I'd rather not get stared at or sit alone," he said honestly.

"Who said you were sitting alone?"

"Uh, I did? I don't know anyone here and I'm not just going to sit at a table uninvited," Aero pointed out. Tony sighed, looking ready to protest. "Relax. I'll go for a late lunch with Happy when I get out of school, okay? I'm just trying to get through my first day."

"Right. Well, I'm holding him to that." Aero laughed. He was sure Happy would've made Aero get food whether Aero had already ate or not. "I'll leave you to your classroom. Have a good day, kid."

"You, too, Dad," he said, before ending the call and putting his phone into his pocket. He pushed himself off the wall and walked back into the classroom, sitting down again. He waited for a moment before asking, aloud, "So who do I sit next to?"

Cobbwell jumped, surprised Aero had spoken up at all. He picked a clipboard off his desk and looked it over. "You're next to Thomas, Beatrice," he informed Aero, looking up. "Why?" Aero shrugged. Truthfully, he was just bored, and that was the most normal question he could think of that wouldn't look weird. Cobbwell nodded and went back to typing on his computer, while Aero pulled out his phone again.

_Beatrice Thomas, _he thought, wondering who that was. At least he wasn't sitting beside Peter Parker.

Aero had the thought of asking where Peter sat, but figured that would make him look weirder than he already felt. Besides, it would be fun, seeing if he was sitting close to Parker or not. Like a game of sorts. A game that made Aero so nervous that he wanted to puke, sure, but a game nonetheless.

Overhead, the bell rang, signaling the end of lunch.

Aero watched the door, wondering who would walk in first.

"Afternoon, Mr. Cobbwell!" a girl greeted brightly. She turned her eyes to the back of the room and stopped, spotting Aero, who stared at her. She looked like a high school student because she _was _a high school student, probably no older than he was. Same sleek black hair, pulled back into a braid that was hidden behind her back; same brown bag slung over her shoulder, holding notepads and pens and most likely recorders. Same wide brown eyes, staring at him like he was from another world.

Beatrice Thomas. B. The reporter, from the compound. The one he'd had security drag away.

Her assigned seat was right next to his.

[ _you messing my emotions up _]

Aero had purposefully angled his body away from her, and he didn't exactly try to keep it a secret.

Beatrice had sat down beside him hesitantly, and hadn't made any efforts to speak to him. Hysterical, he thought. She had no problem harassing him in his own home, but when it came to public spaces, where everyone was watching? Suddenly, she couldn't look him in the eyes.

His only saving grace was having Peter Parker walk in, who made a beeline for Cobbwell. They began talking excitedly about something, but Aero couldn't hear them over the chatter of the rest of the class and the blood rushing in his ears as he spent more time closer to Beatrice than he would like. But his eyes still tracked Peter until the boy sat down in his seat, at one of the lab stations, on the other side of the room.

The classroom was set up weirdly. They had desks, real ones, but there were also lab stations attached to the walls. There were about two kids placed at each lab station, and the rest of them sat in the actual desks. Aero as closest to the door, near the back, and Parker was all the way at the front lab station. Aero didn't know whether he should be upset or delighted — on one hand, he would have a harder time keeping his eyes off Parker, but, on the other, at least he couldn't make a fool out of himself.

"Do you recognize him?" Beatrice asked, glancing at Aero out of the corner of her eye. "Parker, I mean."

Aero scowled, looking away from her. She sighed, turning fully in her seat to face him. "Look, I'm sorry, okay?" she said. Aero glanced at her, then, surprised she'd apologized at all. "I'm interning for New York National, and they wanted me to get the story from you. I was just ... looking out for my own future, I guess. And I'm sorry. I should've respected you."

"I'm not giving you a story to tell just because you apologized," Aero said stubbornly.

Beatrice raised her hands in defense. "I'm not asking you to." She lowered one of her arms, then held out her hand. "Beatrice Thomas, New York National. Call me Bea."

"Your name tag said B." Aero eyed her hand, then sighed and shook it, turning to face her.

"Yeah, I don't like people knowing my name. Makes it harder for them to sue me." Aero couldn't help but snort, and Bea grinned. "But, actually, do you know Parker?" Aero hesitated, and she quickly added, "For my own curiosity, because he says he has an internship with Stark Industries. I was wondering if that's true or not." She rolled her eyes. "I don't doubt it too much, but you know what clout chasers are like."

Aero finally sighed and shrugged. "Don't know. I'm not involved with the company, but he's probably telling the truth," he said vaguely. Honestly, he didn't even know his dad _had _interns, but it was more likely that they were interning for his mom, or were maybe just high schoolers being sent out on coffee runs. He'd put off being in his dad's company for a long, _long _time, and would hopefully still be continuing his efforts at _not _being the heir to the throne. He didn't want anything to do with science and tech. Having to run a company for it would be his own personal hell.

Bea hummed, turning away. She glanced at the chair beside her and sighed, shaking her head. "Missing a friend?" Aero asked casually.

She nodded. "Yeah. Said he didn't want to come to school today. No feeling well. Bullshit, if you ask me. He's hiding something." She shrugged. "I'll get it out of him. I'm a reporter for a reason, after all."

Aero rolled his eyes and looked to the front of the room as Cobbwell stood up.

"Good afternoon, class," he began, and already Aero was bored. "We have a science fair coming up, as you know. End of the semester!" Aero frowned. Cobbwell hadn't told him about a science fair. "You'll get to choose your partners. You can choose someone from a different period, but they have to be apart of my class. And, yes, Michelle, you have to have a partner," Cobbwell said. Aero flicked his gaze over to the girl from gym, who put her hand down. "Now. Your project can be anything. But make sure it's pre-approved by me. We don't want another toxic substance blowing up inside the school."

He began passing out papers of all the requirements for the fair. Aero glanced at the bright blue paper. The rules were easy enough to follow. The only problem was that he'd only talked to two people today — one of them was a loner, and he still wasn't sure if he even forgave the other. And if they had to have partners, those two factors just made his life very difficult.

"...Okay, partner up," Cobbwell said after five seconds of tense silence.

There was the sound of wooden chairs scrapping against the vinyl composition tile of the floor. Aero remained in his seat, and only moved to scoot in so Bea could get by him. He watched her go, a little sad, which confused him. One moment he didn't like her, the next he didn't want her to go. He chalked it up to his social anxiety, and waited patiently for Cobbwell to announce that they were looking for a partner for the other weird kid in the class so Aero could get with them.

Then someone approached him out of his peripheral vision, and Aero nearly had a heart attack.

Peter Parker was standing beside him.

Aero looked up at him, feeling his face beginning to turn red.

"Hi— hi, I'm Peter Parker," Peter Parker introduced, looking even more nervous than Aero was. "Um, do you maybe ... maybe want to partner up?" He looked a little desperate, Aero noted, which surprised him. Parker was fidgeting with his hands, his face coloring darker shades of red every second that Aero remained silent. "Or not! I mean, I just saw that you hadn't partnered up with anyone, but if you're waiting for someone or you don't want to, that's fine, I was just ... just offering," Parker added, stumbling over his words.

Aero couldn't help it. A smile spread across his face, genuine, because, holy shit, this was was _so cute_. He was nervous and jumpy, and Aero had a feeling it wasn't because of his dad's legacy, but because Parker was actually anxious about Aero's answer, like he actually cared what Aero was going to say. And that was just _cute_. Really, _really _cute.

"I wouldn't mind at all," he said softly, honestly.

Peter smiled in relief. "Good. Great! Uh, here, I'll sit here," he said, moving behind Aero's seat and taking the place Bea had once occupied.

Though, if Aero was being honest, he preferred Peter's company to Bea's any day of the week.

[ _i'm scared to show just how I feel _]

Fifth period was still on Aero's mind when he was leaving, and the memories only intensified when he and Peter walked out the front door at the same time.

"Band practice," they both said. Aero grinned. Peter smiled.

"So I was thinking we could experiment with water, plants, and detergent. Like, does the presence of detergent in water affect plant growth?" Peter explained as they fell into step together, walking around the side of the school so they could get to practice faster.

Aero frowned. "I like the idea, but what if it kills the plants?" he theorized.

Peter went to answer, then paused, considering. "Huh. I mean, what if we just do it on regular flowers? The kind we just pick from the garden. You know, add another variable. Oh!" he shouted, making Aero jump. "Sorry," Peter said sheepishly. "But what if we have flowers picked from the garden and ones you get at the store. Then we water one flower with regular water, one with detergent water, and then do the same with the store bought plants?"

"More work. I like it," Aero agreed, putting the thought of killing the plants out of his mind. "I can sketch up an idea of what it'll look like and we can get it approved tomorrow." He grinned. "This is going to be so _cool_," he said, still a little giddy from the fact that he was talking to _Peter Parker_.

Peter smiled at him, then jogged ahead. Aero watched him go, frowning, until he saw that Peter had gone to hold the door open for a different classmate, one who was hobbling along on crutches. Aero swore he could feel his heart melt. Was this boy trying, or was he naturally this adorable? It didn't seem fair. Why did Aero always go after the adorable ones? His first crush had been on David Tennant — who _didn't _have a crush on him, Aero rationalized — and his second on Michael Sheen. Really, Aero had a type — guys who made the world a better place by just existing.

And also celebrities. Which is why it felt weird to be crushing on someone he knew in real life.

Aero moved a little faster to catch up and stepped inside the hallway, putting himself to the side as he waited for Peter to stop holding the door open. Poor boy was stuck as more students began coming inside, and he just couldn't seem to let the door go.

Finally, three minutes before the bell was set to ring, Peter slipped inside and looked surprised to see Aero was waiting for him. "Oh! You didn't have to wait."

Aero smiled. "I know," he said simply. "Come on, lead me to the band room."

Peter fell into step with him as they walked, looking nervous. "So why'd you decide to do band?" he asked.

Aero shrugged. "Dunno. It sounded the most interesting, I guess. And I like music." He didn't want to elaborate. He liked Peter, but not enough to reveal all his secrets. Aero was attracted to him. That didn't equal trust, and they certainly didn't equal friendship. Yes, they were talking. But people talked. Friendships were tricky. Aero wished he'd known that back when he still talked to Martin.

"What about you? Why'd you decide to take on band?"

Peter smiled wistfully. "My dad used to be in band when he went to all his private schools. My uncle said that the one thing that never failed to cheer my dad up was playing an instrument." Aero glanced at him, curious, but decided not to pry. He got the impression that Peter didn't know his father. Maybe he didn't know either of his parents, since he hadn't mentioned a mom. And he'd sounded a little sad when he said 'my uncle,' like the thought made him relive bad memories.

"Yeah, well, 'music helps calm the soul,'" Aero quoted, though he wasn't sure where he'd heard that before.

Peter smiled at him, nearly making Aero stumble. "Yeah. I guess it does." He stopped, then reached out to grab Aero's arm before the other continued walking. Aero jumped, but Peter only pushed open a classroom door and pulled Aero inside, gently. "This is the band room," Peter said.

Aero looked around. It was incredibly noisy, with kids practicing their instruments to entirely different songs, and mostly out of tune. Aero felt a prick of irritation, but decided to give this a shot. He looked around for the teacher and spotted her in the corner of the room, inside what looked to be a sound booth. Peter followed his gaze and began leading the way, leaving Aero scrambling to follow after him.

Ms. Cambell was moving around the small space, organizing papers. She glanced up when they came in and straightened, moving to greet them. "Hello, Peter. And you must be Aero," she said, holding out her hand. Aero winced. She's pronounced his name like _E-ROW_. It was _ARROW_. Like the weapon.

"Aero," he corrected. "Is there anything I need to do to get an instrument?" He had a guitar at home, but that about covered it. He couldn't exactly buy a bunch of instruments without his mom noticing. And while his room was big, he didn't have the space for all the ones he wanted to buy.

"What can you play?"

"What do you need?"

Ms. Cambell studied him, then looked out into the room of students. "Percussion," she admitted. "We have ten flute players, and even more kids on different instruments. But we only have two percussionists. And one of them isn't even here today." Aero took note of that. Was it possible that the missing kid was the same friend of Bea's that was missing? "The other one can show you how to play. We have a keyboard that doubles as a piano."

"I know how to play," Aero argued. Sure, he didn't have much practice with percussion, but he'd played piano whenever he'd went over to Martin's house. Give him five minutes and he could get the hang of it.

Ms. Cambell eyed him, like she didn't believe a word he said. "Ok, then. Ten minutes to practice, and then I'll see what you've got. Peter, he's all yours." Aero raised an eyebrow, turning to Peter, who smiled sheepishly.

"I didn't know you played percussion," Peter said as they made their way to the back of the room. "But I guess I don't know much about you at all, huh?" He laughed nervously, making Aero even more irritated. _Why _was Peter so nervous around him? It's not like had give him any reason to be.

Had he? No, he couldn't have. But what if he had?

Right. Yeah. Aero had stared at him in every class they'd had that day. Maybe Peter _did _have a reason.

[ _but im amazed _]

"Here's some sheet music," Peter said, handing him a piece of paper. Aero glanced at it as he set it up on the music stand. He played the first few notes on the keyboard before he stopped, turning to face Peter. "What?"

"Is this ... Ben Platt?" he guessed, recognizing the beginning to 'Older.'

Peter blushed, looking a little surprised. "I didn't think you'd know him. Everyone in this class knows Mozart and Beyoncé. We play the music whenever the drama department puts on a musical, but they haven't done Dear Evan Hansen yet, so no one really knows who Ben Platt is. I feel like I'm the only one who listens to his music sometimes," Peter babbled. Aero smiled as he kept talking, full on ranting at this point. It was cute. And relatable.

It was almost instinct to smile at whatever Peter said.

"I once went three months just listening to Sing to Me Instead," Aero told him when Peter stopped to take a breath. He turned back to the keyboard before Peter could respond and began playing out the song. He glanced up at the sheet music briefly, but a minute later, he didn't need to — he just played. And if he changed a few notes, it was fine. He was putting his own spin on the song even as he was in the middle of learning it. And it was cool. He was mixing it up.

He didn't have to be perfect.

That realization always came to him when he felt relaxed. He didn't have to live up to anyone's expectations besides his own. His parents, his uncles, his godparents — they were the most important people in his life. But they didn't get to say what he did with his life. He didn't need to explain himself to them. He didn't need to come out to them, he could just show up with a boyfriend and introduce him without warning. He could go to college to study music without telling them. He didn't need to listen to their advice when it came to life. He was _Aero_, not Aero _Stark_.

Then he stopped playing, the final note playing in a quiet room. And those thoughts vanished. Because he _did _need to listen. If he wanted to be taken seriously, he needed to listen to them.

"...That wasn't Ben Platt."

Aero blinked, forcing himself back to reality. He looked at Peter, then got distracted by the heavy silence in the room. Everyone was staring at him, even Ms. Cambell, and he realized he must have shown off a bit _too _much. There was no way he could pass it off as beginner's luck.

But they all turned away and began talking again. Aero shrugged and turned back to Peter. "What?" He had been playing Older, hadn't he?

Peter shook his head. "You went from playing Older to ... something else." He began to awkwardly hum to the tune of whatever Aero had been playing, trying to get him to remember. It sounded familiar. If he could put the lyrics to the melody...

"_Oh_, Kiss the Boy. Keiyan Lonsdale," Aero said, forgetting for a moment that he wasn't out to Peter. Aero quickly turned away. "It's, uh, it's just a song I heard, once, somewhere. Must have let my mind wander and I accidently switched songs."

"Yeah. Pretty easily," Peter said quietly. "I didn't even realize until you were almost done." Aero refused to meet his eyes. Peter cleared his throat, and nudged Aero. He nodded to Ms. Cambell as she made her way over.

"That was ... pretty amazing, Aero," she said, stopping in front of the keyboard. "I think you should be moved to advanced band."

Aero brightened at that. "Really? When is it?"

"Fifth period," she told him. "You'd just have to switch your schedule around a bit to make it fit, but I think it would be worth the switch. You'd be able to expand on your skills, and there aren't as many kids, so I can give you my attention when you need it, whereas there isn't much time to get to every student in this period," she explained.

Aero thought for a moment. If all it took to be in advanced band was switching up his schedule, he was fine with it. Switching would mean a better chance at learning, and he would probably get to show off his skills more often at different competitions and performances. There would be no work on his part. This would be a good opportunity for him.

Then he glanced at Peter.

Aero knew he was a stupid, but looking at a cute boy while trying to make an important decision was probably peak dumbass energy. Because now he was realizing that switching out of sixth period and messing up his whole schedule meant he wouldn't be having very many — or any, even — classes with Peter. And even though he knew that his feelings for Peter wouldn't go beyond maybe a hesitant friendship, Aero didn't want to leave him.

And Peter looked a little sad now. Like he was upset that Aero might switch out.

Aero didn't want him to be upset.

"I think I'll stay here," he announced, barely able to look Ms. Cambell in the eye. "I think ... it'll be better to be in a class with the beginners."

"Beginners," she repeated. "Aero, I want you to think about this, please. I won't offer this again."

"I think you will. And I'll refuse then, too. I'll stay here," Aero insisted. After a moment, Ms. Cambell nodded and moved away to help one of the flute players. Aero busied himself with organizing the sheet music strewn across the different percussion instruments and music stands. Peter hesitantly followed him. Whenever Aero glanced at him, it seemed like Peter was struggling to speak.

"Why'd you do that?" Peter finally blurted. "You're good. _Really _good. Why'd you stay here?"

"Like I told her, it'll be better to be in a class of beginners."

"You are _not _a beginner."

Aero paused, then shook his head. "I'd rather not deal with a change. It's only my first day, alright? I'm fine here, so leave it alone." Aero winced at how harsh he sounded, and further cringed when he heard Peter go silent. "I'm sorry, okay? I just ... don't like when people interrogate me."

Peter nodded. "Ok. I won't question you, then."

Aero smiled. "Good." He turned around, holding up some sheet music. "Now help me organize this? It's like a hurricane blew through here."

[_ you could throw it away _]

Aero was walking with Peter to the front of the school when he saw it, tucked in one of the corners.

There was a news van waiting outside.

Aero ducked his head and pressed his back against the main building just before he stepped into its line of sight. Peter, looking confused, followed his lead, putting himself in front of Aero quickly. When he spotted the van, he turned to look at Aero for a moment. "Do you have a ride home?"

"My godfather. He's picking me up." Aero glanced around the corner, frowning. "I don't see him, though. Come _on_, Happy, where are you?" he whispered to himself. As if on cue, Aero's phone rang, and he quickly picked up. "Happy! Where are you? There's a news van here," he told him quickly.

"Yeah, figures. I'm stuck in traffic for another hour, kid," Happy said, well, unhappily. "I'm sorry."

Aero sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "It's fine. I can find a way out. Is there somewhere I should meet you?"

"Oh! My apartment!" Peter blurted. Aero looked at him quizzingly, and Peter went bright red. "I'm ... I'm heading there, right now. And I'm sure Happy remembers where it is."

"How do you know who Happy is?" Aero asked.

"Stark Internship," Peter and Happy said at the same time. Aero was a little surprised. He didn't think the Stark Internship was actually a thing. He hadn't heard about it from his parents. He thought that there was a slight possibility that Peter _had _been making it up for clout, but it was, apparently, real. "That really seems like the best option, kid." Even though he sounded disgruntled when he said it, Happy was completely serious, Aero knew. And despite every bell in his head going off, Aero nodded. He had a feeling this was a bad idea simply because of his attraction to Peter, but it was also the best meeting point and the only place he could go that wasn't public.

"Ok. I'll see you there."

[_ it's only about us two _]

Aero held onto the stanchion with a white-knuckle grip, looking down at the subway floor as the train rattled underneath his feet. Peter was only inches away, but Aero was focusing on his breathing, which was slowly becoming faster as he began to feel more unsteady on the train.

So he was afraid of trains. Sue him.

He didn't know why he was so afraid of them. He didn't have any bad memories relating to trains. Nothing traumatizing happened. But, for some reason, whenever he was put on a train, he nearly had a panic attack, every time. And this time was no different — fast breathing, an approaching headache, the space around him beginning to spin ... add that to his fears that someone was going to recognize him under Peter's jacket, and Aero felt like he was going to die.

Oh, right. Peter's jacket. The blue one that he'd given to Aero to hide his face as they walked past the van and outside the school. The one he still hadn't asked Aero to give back. The one that was currently wrapped around Aero, who was now struggling to breath for an entirely different reason.

Peter gently nudged him. "Are you alright?" he asked quietly.

Aero swallowed and nodded, deciding it was best not to speak. Thank _God _he hadn't eaten, or he would be feeling a lot more than terrified right now.

But pretty soon the train screeched to a stop, and Aero let himself relax. He followed Peter outside, being careful not to lose him in the crowd. He looked around, noting that they were in a neighborhood full of apartments, with a lot of people wandering around the street. A few of them waved to Peter and greeted him before going back their day, with Peter brightly greeting them back. They reached one of the buildings as Peter dug into his pockets for keys before turning to Aero sheepishly.

"My keys are, uh, in the left pocket," he said. Aero frowned before realizing what he meant. He dug into the left pocket of the jacket, producing two keys on a key-chain, which was put on a plastic bracelet. He handed the keys to Peter and watched him open the doors, wondering why Peter hadn't just asked for his jacket back.

He decided not to ask. He followed Peter up two flights of stairs before the other stopped in front of a door, putting the key he hadn't already used into the lock and opening the door. "May! I'm home!" Peter called, moving out of the doorway so Aero could step inside. "And I brought a friend!" he added.

"A _friend_? Someone besides _Ned_?" a teasing voice called out. A moment later, a young woman appeared from the hallway, brown hair falling over her shoulders. She smiled at Aero when she spotted him, moving toward him to shake his hand. "Hi, I'm May, Peter's aunt."

Aero shook her hand, then let his drop back to his side as he said, "I'm Aero. Sorry for turning up uninvited."

She waved her hand, as if brushing away his concerns. "Don't worry about it. Ned comes over all the time without warning." Peter chuckled, closing the door behind Aero. "Are you staying for dinner? Studying?" she asked. Peter shot her a look. "What? You've never brought anyone but Ned over before, I'm curious!" she defended. Aero chuckled.

"Probably just half-an-hour at this point. Happy will be here to pick me up soon," he told her.

"Happy? Like..." She trailed off. "The one who picked you up for that Stark Internship thing?" she guessed, turning to Peter.

"Yeah," Peter said simply. "This is—" Peter paused, looking at Aero questioningly. Aero realized that he was asking if it was okay for Peter to introduce him as Tony's son. He nodded, figuring there was no harm in it. May didn't seem like the gossip type. "This is Mr. Stark's son," Peter told her.

Before May could say anything, Aero turned his attention to Peter. "Wait, sorry, you call him _Mr. Stark?_"

"He's an authority figure," Peter protested.

"He still eats his sandwiches without the crust," Aero argued. Peter laughed. An actual, genuine laugh. Aero could swear his heart melted at the sound, and he was sure it was clear on his face, because May made a noise of realization before she went to the kitchen. "We can, I don't know, study, if you want," Aero offered, just to change the subject. "I won't be here long, but we can talk about out project."

Peter sighed. "Right, I forgot about that." He pulled out his phone and handed it to Aero, who stared at it, confused. "Here. Uh, put your number in my contacts, then we can talk about the project later, too!" He hesitantly pulled his hand back a few inches. "I mean, if you don't want to, you don't need to, I'm not going to—"

"Switch," Aero cut in, pulling out his own phone. Aero typed his number into Peter's phone, wondering if he should put a picture in the contact. But how many people did Peter know named _Aero Stark? _Hell, even just the name Aero was hard to come by. His full name made him sound like a Dungeons & Dragons character. Maybe his name would be on the next season of Game of Thrones. Aero Morgan Stark, savior of the White Kingdom (he's never actually seen a Game of Thrones episode, so Aero figures his knowledge on the subject is completely askew).

Aero hit the home button on Peter's phone as he handed it back to him and caught sight of a picture. It was Peter and the boy Aero recognized from gym class, smiling and giving a thumbs up to the camera. "Is that your friend?" he asked.

Peter glanced at the screen and smiled. "Yeah, Ned Leeds. He'd love to meet you, actually."

"Because of my dad, or because he's friendly?" Aero asked, smirking at him. Peter scratched the back of his neck sheepishly. "Thought so. He seems sweet, though. I'll give it a chance."

"You should sit with us at lunch. Tomorrow," Peter blurted. Aero's eyes widened briefly. Jesus, did he have to do any work on this kid, or was Peter already flirting? He was probably just being awkward, Aero reasoned, but still. Lunch. Tomorrow. With Peter. _And his friend, idiot, _Aero added silently.

Still. Lunch. With _Peter Parker_.

"I'd love to. if you'll walk me from Harrington's. I ... don't know where the cafeteria is," he lied. He did. He _totally_ did. He'd almost walked inside it that very afternoon before his sense of reason caught up with him. But any excuse to walk with Peter was a good excuse, especially if Peter didn't know it was a lie.

Peter smiled, nodding. "Deal." He phone suddenly started ringing, and a picture of Ned popped up. Peter sighed, thumb hovering over the End Call button, before Aero stopped him.

"No, no, answer it," he encouraged. "Don't leave him hanging."

Peter hesitated, than smiled and answered the call. He headed more into the living room, and Aero found his way toward the kitchen, where May was still busying herself. She smiled at him as he approached. "Do you want anything to drink?"

"No, thank you, Mrs. Parker," Aero said politely.

"Please, call me May. Mrs. Parker is my mother-in-law," she joked. She slid a water bottle across the breakfast bar, and he caught it before it fell. He smiled at her in thanks before taking a sip, surprised by how thirsty he was. "So, you and Peter ... are friends?" she asked, leaning across the counter.

Aero nearly choked on the water. Her words were fine, but the way she said them made him think she was more observant than he wanted her to be. "Yeah. Yes, we're ... no, we're ... yes," he finished, nodding in satisfaction. "Friends." Had that been established? Aero supposed they had to be friends, if he was over at Peter's house. But he'd been over to plenty of houses, and he'd never thought of those people as friends.

What was it about cute boys that got him so confused?

"Good. He needs more of them," May commented. She glanced at Aero. "You do, too."

Aero frowned. "What do you mean?"

May sighed, smiling sadly. "It can't have been easy growing up in the spotlight. Not a lot of friends."

Aero turned his head, deciding not to answer. May moved away, back down the hall that she had arrived from. Aero pushed himself away from the counter, clutching the water bottle in his hand tightly. Peter was sitting on the couch, talking to Ned, presumably. When he caught sight of Aero, he quickly ended the call, sitting up straighter as he put his phone on the coffee table. "Are you okay?" he asked softly, almost like he was afraid _he _had upset Aero.

"I'm fine," Aero said, just a little too tensely. "So. Lunch. should I bring my own from home, or does the school actually serve things that are ... edible?" he asked, sitting beside Peter.

Peter smiled. "Just how many high school movies did you watch growing up?"

"Only _all _of them. Still a fan of High School Musical. I'm a little disappointed I didn't meet someone cute over summer break and come back to my normal life, only to find out that they're at the same school with me."

"Imagine my disappointment when I found out that it _wasn't_ mandatory to wear pink on Wednesdays," Peter joked. Aero snickered, turning to face Peter fully. He leaned back and kicked his legs up and under him before sitting forward. Peter tilted his head. "So is Happy actually your godfather? How did that happen?"

Aero laughed at the incredulous tone Peter took on. "My dad is his best friend. Uh, when I was younger, he kind of took over as my unofficial babysitter. Took care of me, made sure I was eating, stuff like that. There was one time where he left for a week on vacation and I cried every day." Aero smiled, a little wistful. "My dad saw that he was taking care of me even when he didn't need to, protecting me from the media and all that, so he asked Happy if he'd be alright with being my godfather, and Happy said yes."

"I can't imagine what you must've been like as a kid if _Happy _liked you," Peter muttered.

Aero giggled. "Give the man a little credit! I was a horrible kid. I drew on the walls and didn't leave my dad's robots alone!"

"Every kid draws on the walls!" Peter protested.

Aero smiled sheepishly. "Yeah, but maybe not the walls of a four million dollar lab," he admitted. Peter laughed, leaning back against the couch.

"Martin is going to like you," Peter commented, grabbing his phone from the table. "You guys have a similar sense of humor. You'll meet him tomorrow, unless he's out sick again." He glanced at Aero, then, who had gone silent. Peter frowned. "Everything okay?"

"Who's Martin?" Aero asked, avoiding the question.

Peter's frowned deepened. "Uh, Martin Emerson? He's the percussionist that was missing today." He gently touched Aero's arm, pulling back when Aero flinched. "Are you alright, Aero?"

Aero was saved from answering when his phone rang. He dug it out of his pocket and was relived to see that Happy was calling him. "Hey," he greeted, answering the call.

"I'm here," Happy informed him. "Just outside. Try to hurry."

"Yeah, will do," Aero agreed. He hung up and began gathering his things, not looking at Peter. "Thanks for having me over. Text me later, okay? We can talk about the project."

"Yeah, yeah, are you alright?" Peter insisted, grabbing Aero's arm. Aero paused, looking up at him. "You got scared."

"I'm fine. I'll see you tomorrow."

Aero held up his hand in a wave before he practically ran out the door. He paused at the entrance to the building, checking for any reporters, before he made a bee-line to the car Happy was driving, climbing in and slamming the door behind him.

Happy frowned. "What'd Peter say?"

Aero gritted his teeth together. "Nothing. He didn't say anything. Everything's _fine_."

_Everything was _not _fine._


	6. CHAPTER FOUR

Aero felt the bed dip as someone sat beside him. He quickly tried to place his bets as to who it was — Mom would have knocked before entering, and Rhodey would have, too. If Aero was having a bad day — which he was, now — then Happy wouldn't have knocked. His dad never really announced his arrival, especially when Aero was feeling bad. _Dad_, Aero thought, just as the person cleared their throat.

"Hey, kid. Happy said you had a bad day," Tony said.

Aero closed his eyes tightly and took a deep breath, then sat up, turning to face Tony. "I'm fine," he said bluntly. It had gotten a little easier, knowing that Martin was attending Midtown with him, but the reality still hadn't sunk in yet, and it probably wouldn't until Aero saw him face-to-face. Which was terrifying. Martin knew that he was gay. He'd threatened to out Aero unless he stopped talking to him. Aero was sure Martin wouldn't appreciate having to be in a few classes with him for the next three years.

"Oh, are you?" Tony asked sarcastically. Aero turned away, not wanting to answer. "Can I ask what happened?"

"I don't know, _can_ you?" Aero looked at him, then, and saw Tony try not to smile. It made him feel a little better. "Do you remember Martin?"

Tony frowned. "That rich kid that you stopped hanging out with two years ago?" Aero nodded. "Sure. What about him?"

"Well, we left things ... badly. He said some things that I can't forgive. And now he's attending Midtown with me, and I kind of ... don't want to be near him," Aero admitted.

"So you want to stop going to that school?"

Aero shook his head. "No! Midtown is ... it's fine. Great, even. There are some really great kids there, and the teachers are ... good ... at their jobs," Aero said reluctantly. God, he was a terrible liar. But he couldn't exactly admit that he wanted to stay because Peter Parker attended Midtown, now could he? "But I don't know if I can avoid Martin, and I don't want to get him kicked out because that's not fair, but I don't know," Aero finished, frowning.

Tony sighed. "I can .. email your teachers. Make sure you don't sit by him in class," he offered.

Aero nodded. "That's a start," he agreed, smiling.

Tony smiled back. "So, did you make any friends today?" he asked, just a little hesitantly. But Aero didn't catch on, because the moment Tony said 'friends,' his mind jumped onto the subject of Peter Parker, and he couldn't stop himself from nodding. Tony brightened. "That's great, A! When can we meet them?"

"_Dad_," Aero whined, "don't be embarrassing."

"I'm just asking a question!" Tony defended, raising his arms. "I haven't even met the kid yet."

Aero smiled. "I think Mom already knows him. He has an internship with the company. Peter Parker," Aero said, checking for any hints of recognition. "I went over to his place after school because there was a news van outside."

Tony nodded. "Thought I recognized that jacket."

Aero went bright red, looking down at his clothes. He'd forgotten that Peter had given him his jacket to hide his face. Peter hadn't even asked for it back, and now Aero had it. He'd have to return it. He'd have to hand it back to Peter and they'd both definitely be embarrassed and awkward. Aero might even stumble over his words. God, this was going to be the worst, the _absolute_—

"You've met him?" Aero asked, realizing what Tony's words meant.

Tony shrugged. "Yeah. I'm overseeing the internships personally. He's a smart kid."

Aero nodded in agreement. "He's nice," he admitted.

"Yeah, he is. I'm glad you're friends with him." Aero looked up just as Tony got to his feet. "Alright, I'll let you sleep now. Don't forget that you have to be up by six, okay? Happy will be ready to drive you."

"What is the point of my license if I never use it?" Aero called after him. Tony didn't answer, not that Aero was expecting him to. He sighed, laying back down. He didn't really want to get up and change, though he'd certainly be a lot more comfortable. But, if he just laid the right way, he'd feel much more pleasant, and he could sleep pretty easily.

He was out a minute later.

[_ and one taught me pain_ ]

Different car, same routine.

Except, this time, the news vans were following them.

"I'm starting to think we should start using the back exits when we leave the compound," Aero hummed, leaning forward to rest his chin on the seat in front of him. Happy didn't respond, looking focused on trying to lose the vans. Aero sighed, trying to push down his own nerves. He sat back and took out his phone, toying with the idea of who he could text. He could text Peter. Play if off of wanting to return his jacket. Yeah, that a good lie.

**Aero: **_hey peter, it's aero. i still have your jacket, can i return it when i get to school?_  
**Peter: **_Sure! I'll meet you out there, be there in 5!_  
**Aero: **_im still on the road. give me 10 minutes_  
**Peter: **_No problem!_

Peter was a very enthusiastic texter, Aero noted. Exclamation marks everywhere, whereas Aero didn't even bother capitalizing their names. Was he always this enthusiastic in text, or was it just for Aero? Maybe it was just for people he didn't know too well. Aero didn't mind, though — Peter's eager texting made him smile, and it made the day just a little brighter. It even managed to put thoughts of facing Martin out of Aero's mind, though he quickly returned to those when he pocketed his phone again.

Martin Emerson was at Midtown High. And Aero was going to have to face him, sooner or later.

He wondered if his dad followed up on his idea to email his teachers. If Cobwell could move him away from Bea — and, by default, Martin — then Aero could avoid him during fifth period. But he couldn't avoid him during sixth period, since they were both percussionists and would be in the same section. But Peter would be there. Peter would be the buffer between them, even if he didn't know it. And if Martin tried to talk to him, Aero would walk away. He didn't want to forgive Martin, even if he still missed their friendship.

"They're not allowed on school campus, remember?" Happy said. "I can drop you off inside. They might get some pictures, but they can't come up to you."

Aero frowned. "Then what was that van doing on the grounds yesterday?" he wondered. Happy shrugged. Aero sighed, chewing his bottom lip as they continued driving. He wanted to text Peter again, but he didn't have anything to talk about, and he didn't want to bother Peter. Besides, in five minutes, Aero would see him and everything would be ... okay. Alright, not _everything_, but _most_ things! Aero just had to focus on the positive.

But every time he tried to do that, a new, depressing thought entered his mind.

"What's the status on the lawsuit?" Aero asked hesitantly.

Happy sighed. "Kid—"

"Please, Happy? No one is telling me anything. I have a right to know, don't I?" Aero pestered. "It's over me. I need to know."

Happy was quiet, then sighed, and Aero knew he'd broken through to him. "Your parents are still trying to choose a lawyer. There was a meeting with your mother—"

"She is _not_ my mom," Aero interrupted.

Happy smiled. "You're right. There was a meeting with Maxine, her lawyer, your parents, and a temporary lawyer yesterday. Her lawyer tried to ask for you to be allowed to stay with Maxine every other week, but Tony and Pepper refused, so now the lawsuit is moving forward." Aero nodded. He was glad his parents hadn't just given in, but he felt bad that they had to go to court over him. "They don't ... you didn't hear this from me, but they don't want to drag you into this. They don't want you in the courtroom, and they don't want you to testify."

Aero frowned. "But if it's about me, I have a right to be there. And to testify! Shouldn't my opinion be the only one that matters?"

Happy sighed. "I think so, too, kid. But they just want to keep you safe."

"More like my opinion doesn't matter, right? No one needs to know what _I _want, they just want to make all the decisions for me," Aero snapped, crossing his arms and turning to look out the window. Happy didn't reply, seeming to know that Aero didn't want one.

They pulled into the school parking lot. Aero didn't wait for Happy to find a spot to park in; he grabbed his backpack and hopped out of the car, saying goodbye before he closed the door. He figured Happy would understand — news vans were following them, after all, and they were already pulling up in front of the school, reporters clamoring out of the vans to get pictures of him and call his name.

Aero turned around and nearly ran straight into Peter.

Well, he says straight, but there really wasn't anything straight about the way his voice went up a pitch as he greeted Peter.

Peter smiled at him, then looked over his shoulder. "Come on," he encouraged, grabbing Aero's arm and pulling him toward the entrance of the school. This was the second time he'd grabbed Aero without permission. If it were anyone else, Aero would have told them off the first time, pulled away, and gotten as far away from them as possible. He hated when people touched him without permission, and even more so hated being around them after the fact.

But he couldn't tell off Peter, and he didn't exactly mind.

Aero wondered if this was his first crush. Like, his first, actual crush. Celebrities didn't count, even if one of them was Aero's gay awakening. The only other person Aero thought he had feelings for was Martin, but he'd been quick to figure out that he preferred to be friends as opposed to being boyfriends. But with Peter, he didn't want to be friends. He wanted to skip straight to the boyfriend part, because Peter was nice and cute and made Aero stumble over his words when he was usually so confident. Peter was sweet and shy and almost protective, and Aero would give anything to keep that relationship to himself.

"—wouldn't want to be hounded," Peter was saying, snapping Aero out of his thoughts. He nodded, though he wasn't sure what Peter was talking about. They stopped in front of a locker that wasn't Aero's. Aero figured this had to be Peter's locker a moment before Peter opened it.

"Oh, wait," Aero said, kneeling as he put his backpack in front of him. He pulled out Peter's jacket and stood up, holding it out to Peter as he slung his backpack back onto his shoulder. "Sorry about taking it. I was in a rush."

"Don't worry about it," Peter dismissed, taking the jacket back. He smiled at Aero as he put it into his locker, and Aero tried not to smile back, looking down and pretending that his converse were very interesting. "Thank you," Peter added, making Aero look up. He nodded, unable to resist smiling.

"I'm sorry about rushing off yesterday. Just ... had a bad day," Aero said, just to keep the conversation going.

"Well, it _was _your first day of school. That's always the worst," Peter commented, closing his locker. He looked around for a moment, a little lost, before Aero held out his hands. Peter smiled gratefully and handed his books to Aero before kneeling down to put them in his backpack. Aero handed the books to him two at a time until there were no more, and Peter stood up. Aero noted that Peter was taller than him by at least three inches. Strangely, he wasn't jealous. He always knew that he'd inherited his father's short genes.

"Where do you go after getting your books?" Aero asked.

"Ned and I just wander around for a while until class starts," Peter informed him, just as a boy appeared at his side.

It was the boy who had been with Peter in gym class yesterday, and the same one that was in the photo Peter had set as his lockscreen. His eyes went a little wide when he saw Aero, but he didn't exclaim, "Aero Stark!" which made Aero wonder if the boy — Ned, he remembered — was keeping silent because he knew Aero didn't want to be pestered, or because Peter had told him not to ask about the Avengers.

Either way, Aero put on a smile and held out his hand. "Hi, I'm Aero. You must be Ned."

Ned shook his hand, nodding silently. Peter elbowed him, and Ned quickly said, "Hi, it's nice to meet you!" He was enthusiastic as well, but in real life, Aero noted. His energy was almost infectious, and it made Aero smile as he shook the guy's hand before letting his own drop back to his side.

"Do you want to walk with us?" Peter offered, smiling brightly.

Aero did. Of _course _he did. But... "I think it's safer if I just wait with Ms. Warren in the mornings. Less chance of being harassed," Aero told them, frowning. Peter's smile dropped, but Ned nodded in understanding. "I do want to, though. Maybe when I'm not recognized for being a Stark."

"Yeah, I hear that," Ned said. Aero scoffed, but he couldn't help but laugh at the end. He held up his hand in a wave before ducking into the crowd of students passing by, hiding his face and waiting until he passed by Ms. Warren's room to look up.

He already couldn't wait for lunch.

[ _say i've loved and i've lost _]

The first four periods seem to pass by in a blur.

Aero was feeling jittery all day, and not because he was worried about running into Martin. No, those thoughts had been replaced well before lunch time, when he would be sitting with Peter and Ned for thirty-five minutes. But more specifically, the walk to the cafeteria, conducted by Peter, who either genuinely believed that Aero had no idea where to find the place, or maybe just knew that Aero just wanted an excuse to spend more time with him. By themselves. Alone. For about two minutes.

The second the bell rang, Aero nearly jumped out of his seat. He packed up his things along with everyone else, then waited. Peter was sitting closer to the front of the room, but in a minute he was by Aero's side, smiling at him.

"Come on, it isn't far," Peter said, already leading the way. Aero fell into step with him, wondering what he could say before they fell into a comfortable silence, before Peter said, "I never got the chance to ask. How was your first day?"

Not exactly the most exciting thing to talk about it, but Aero would take it. At least Peter wasn't asking him about the Avengers. "It was good, I guess. I don't really have anything to compare it to," he said, shrugging. "Like, it might have been bad, but I can't exactly compare it to any other first day of school, so I think it went pretty well."

"You've never been to a public school before?" Peter asked, sounding surprised.

"I went to elementary school for about a week," Aero corrected. "Fifth grade. Even the teachers were asking me about my dad and the Avengers, so my mom and dad pulled me out and put through online schooling. Honestly, I'm not complaining. I hated it back then, and I'd hate it now," he added.

Peter nodded. "Well, don't worry about Ned asking you anything, I told him not to." Aero laughed. Honestly, Ned was a nice guy. Aero was sure he wouldn't mind the questions so much if they came from someone who was genuinely interested in what he had to say, someone who was less focused on the fact that Tony Stark was Aero's dad and more focused on the stories Aero could tell about him. But once he gave one person permission, _everyone _thought it was okay, and then he'd be harassed all over again.

Still, maybe he'd let Ned ask his questions one day.

Aero realized they were falling back into silence. _Ok, not good. Quick. Think of something. Music. Band. Ben Platt! Broadway! _"What's your favorite musical?" he asked, looking up at Peter, who immediately brightened.

"In general, or on Broadway?"

"Both," Aero decided.

"For Broadway, Dear Evan Hansen. For general ... ugh, jeez. The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals?"

Aero gaped at him. "Wait, you listen to Starkid? I _love _Starkid!" he blurted. Peter grinned at him. "And, oh, my God, The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals? Masterpiece. Literally everything! The ending? The _music_? Per_fection_," he rambled, making Peter giggle.

"I know! Ok, your turn," he said, looking at Aero.

Aero didn't even have to think. "Favorite Broadway musical _has _to be Mean Girls, easy. Off-Broadway is a tie between Daddy Long Legs and Bare: a Pop Opera. But my favorite _Starkid_ musical is between Twisted and Firebringer," he said.

"Daddy Long Legs? Bare?" Peter asked him.

Aero nodded excitedly. "Yes! I'm sending you playlists to both because they're _literally _some of my favorite things to listen to. Bare is a tragedy and is heartbreaking, but you can bop to the music, because it is a _pop _opera, after all. Daddy Long Legs is sweet and beautiful, and the music will give you chills! The way the stories flow and end? I could listen to them on repeat for _hours_ without getting bored. The amount of heart and soul that goes into making the music and story is just so amazing and inspiring," Aero said, not even realizing he was saying everything in one breath until he stopped to breathe in deeply.

Peter stared at him, smiling. "You ... _really _like music," he concluded.

Aero smiled sheepishly. 'More than anything."

They continued their walk, and Aero decided that he didn't mind the silence as long as Peter kept that dumb smile on his face.

Peter held the door open for him as they walked into the cafeteria, and Aero pretended that most of the room didn't go quiet. He kept his eyes on Peter and turned his head whenever he felt someone staring at him, trying desperately not to meet their gaze. Peter caught his eyes and turned to look at him, too, as they made their way toward one of the tables, the one where Ned was sitting. At the end of the table, the girl — Michelle, he remembered — from gym was reading a book.

Peter and Aero were still across the room from them. People were still staring. And Aero didn't want to know how weird his and Peter's staring contest looked to everyone else.

"Just pretend like we're talking about something important," he said, forcing a smile.

Peter nodded. "Something important. Right. Uh. Oh! Our chemistry project!" he said. Aero nodded. "We have two months to finish it, but we shouldn't just wait until the last minute," he reasoned. "We should sketch out what it's going to look like before we get anything we need." Aero nodded in agreement.

"We can do it after school, if you're free," Aero offered.

Peter thought for a moment before sighing. "I'm not free today, but I will be tomorrow. Should we go to your place?" Aero raised an eyebrow, wondering why Peter had decided on _his _place. Though, he supposed it wasn't too weird, as Aero had already been over to Peter's house. He figured he was just always going to be paranoid about why people wanted to go over to his place, considering it was at the Avengers Compound.

"Sure, why not. Tomorrow," he agreed. "Happy will pick us up."

Aero took a seat at the table once they'd reached it, across from Ned. Peter made to sit down, then stopped, springing up and shaking his head. "I'm getting lunch," he announced. Without waiting for an answer, he made a beeline for the front of the cafeteria, where the lunch ladies were serving food. Aero watched him go, brows furrowed in confusion, before he turned back to Ned, who shrugged, apparently not having a reason for Peter's weird behavior, either.

"Is he always so forgetful about lunch?" Aero asked.

"No, he's just weird," Michelle corrected, making Aero snort. He turned his head to look at her. She nodded in greeting before going back to her book. Aero shrugged before looking back at Ned, who smiled shyly. Aero leaned forward, resting his chin on his fist as he put his elbows on the table.

"Tell me about yourself, Ned," Aero said, hoping to get him to relax. If Peter was friends with this kid, then Ned must be interesting, and nice. Peter didn't strike Aero as the type to make friends with people who were boring and/or mean. "What's your current obsession?"

"Obsession?" Ned echoed.

"Yeah, you know. Like, something you're so interested in that it kind of ... defines you, I guess, if that makes sense," Aero explained.

Ned thought for a moment before shrugging. "I'm a fan of Spider-Man."

"Well, yeah, _everyone's _a fan of Spider-Man," Aero said, which wasn't, well, totally true, but _he _was a fan of Spider-Man. Sure, he wasn't obessive. He didn't have a fan account dedicated to the masked hero. But he appreciated Spider-Man. He especially thought the other was pretty chill since he fought with Tony during the airport battle a few months ago. "But can you really call that an obesession?"

"...I guess I _really_ like Star Wars." Aero smiled, nodding for him to go on, even though he personally didn't know anything about Star Wars, and probably wouldn't go out of his way to find any information about it. "I basically have all the lego sets. Peter and I actually just finished building one, it was three thousand eight hundred and three pieces," Ned said, beginning to get more lively as he realized that Aero was _actually _paying attention.

"What? That's insane," Aero said, just to show his interest. "The puzzles I did when I was younger were only, like, a thousand pieces," he added.

"There's another set coming out! It's going to be over five thousand pieces, and I'm saving up to get it so Peter and I can build it! Do you want to help you?" Ned asked excitedly. He seemed to catch himself and began getting nervous again, like he was afraid Aero would laugh at him.

"I'd love to," Aero told him honestly. Because, well, legos were just another version of puzzles, and Aero still loved doing those, even seven years later. "Whenever you get it, I'll be down to build."

"Really? That's—"

"_So_ lame," someone cut in. Aero frowned, eyes cutting to a different boy just as he took Peter's place at the table. The boy's clothes were nice, almost fancy, which immediately tipped Aero off to the fact that this kid was rich, and also most likely a complete tool. He rolled his eyes, but decided to play nice. "Seriously. You have a _Stark _at your table, and you're talking about _Star Wars _and _legos_?" he asked, making Ned shift uncomfortably.

"And _you_ are?" Aero asked, gritting his teeth together.

"Flash Thompson," the boy introduced.

"Cool. You're sitting in my friend's seat," Aero told him, making Flash frown.

"Who, Parker? Why do you even hang out with him?"

"Because he doesn't refer to me as 'a _Stark_,'" Aero told him, holding up his hands and putting quotation marks around the last two words. "If you want me to hang out with you, this is a bad way to do it."

Before Flash could respond, Peter appeared again, strangely without a lunch tray. He caught sight of Flash at the table and looked exasperated for only a moment before he caught Aero's eyes. He smiled sheepishly, but Aero decided not to ask about the lunch tray. The school probably wasn't serving anything good, which would just prove Aero's lunch question from yesterday to be justified.

"Well, when you get tired of sitting with the _losers_, you can come hang out with the _popular_ kids," Flash said, getting off the bench. He sneered at Peter as he passed him, but Peter remained undeterred, simply moving past Flash and taking his seat at the table.

"What a _dick_," Aero said, making Peter grin.

"Trust me, you don't know the half of it."

Aero smiled at him, then turned back to Ned. "So, tell me more about Star Wars..."

[ _look what you taught me_ ]

Fifth period seemed to pass in a blur, with the most prominent information being that everyone should be sure that they were managing their time so they got their projects complete. Aero had made a note in his phone to sketch out what his and Peter's experiment should look like before he spaced out for the rest of class. Neither Martin _nor _Beatrice were present, but Aero had been moved across the room anyway. Namely, next to Peter Parker, most likely because they were partners for their project. Still, Aero cursed the universe yet again.

Even though he and Peter were starting to become good friends, Aero still got _way _too flustered around him, especially when they weren't talking about something. If they just sat together, no words between them, Aero got too aware of Peter's presence, and that basically just messed up his whole day.

It was a relief when the bell rang and they headed out to band together.

"Oh, hey, thanks for talking with Ned when I was gone," Peter said, turning to look at Aero, who shrugged. "Seriously. You didn't have to do that."

"I know. But he's a nice guy, and he's really interesting," Aero told him, which was, quite honestly, true. To Aero, at least. Hell, Ned had probably peaked Aero's interest in Star Wars, which isn't something Aero was expecting. The biggest franchise he'd ever been into was Harry Potter, and that obsession hadn't lasted very long. Really, the longest time he'd ever spent invested in a story was Percy Jackson, though that wasn't exactly the biggest franchise in the world.

Peter opened his mouth to respond, than stopped, spotting someone. Aero nearly turned around before Peter called out, "Martin! Hey!"

Aero's heart dropped to his stomach. He turned his head and caught sight of the one and only Martin Emerson, who turned around to wave at Peter, than froze, spotting Aero standing just beside him. Aero clenched his jaw and turned back to Peter. "We should walk faster," he said, taking his own advice before Peter could respond. He passed by Martin, not bothering to look at him, Peter right beside him, who was most likely _super _confused and wondering what Martin could have done to offend Aero, considering Peter hadn't seen them talk all day, and probably didn't know that Aero even _knew _Martin.

"Aero? Aero, wait up!" Martin called. Aero almost gave in — it was like he was eleven again, stuck waiting for his dad at a boring meeting in Stark Tower, and Martin had arrived to take away his boredom. He almost stopped and turned around, like he was a kid again, just wanting to hang out with his best and, let's be honest, only friend. But he caught himself and continued walking, ignoring Peter's questioning look. He knew Peter had heard Martin, and Peter knew that Aero had heard him, too.

"Should we—"

"I don't want to talk to him," Aero cut in, his tone leaving no room for argument. Peter nodded, keeping in pace with Aero easily. Aero was almost jealous, but he wondered if his shortness of breath came from the fast pace or his incoming panic attack.

"Aero, can we just _talk_?" Martin asked, almost in exasperation. Aero clenched his jaw, nearly freezing when Peter put a hand on his arm.

"Hey, you're either going to have to face him out here or inside," he pointed out, making Aero scowl. "I can stay," he offered, which sent a whole other burst of panic through Aero. It was one thing to confront Martin. It was another to do it was Peter at his side, especially when Martin would probably mention that Aero was gay. So he shook his head and stopped, turning to fully face Peter.

"No. Go, I'll be inside in a minute," he said. Peter hesitated, then nodded, putting a comforting hand on Aero's shoulder before moving away, glancing over his shoulder worriedly before he stepped inside. Aero took a deep breath and turned around, surprised to find that Martin was already in front of him, nervously fidgeting where he stood. Aero crossed his arms, scowling at him.

"Make it quick, Emerson. I already had to deal with one asshole today, I don't want to deal with you, too," Aero snapped at him. Did he feel justified, being mean to Martin? Completely. Aero didn't need to put up with someone who had threatened to out him. He didn't even need to listen to Martin, really, but he would if it made Peter feel better.

"I guess ... I just wanted to say that I'm sorry."

Aero opened his mouth to retort, but paused, stumped. He hadn't been expecting _that_. He was expecting an argument. To be outed. To leave the conversation with anger burning him up from the inside out. He hadn't been expecting an apology.

"..._What_?"

"I was a dumb kid, Aero. I listened to my parents more than myself. I let them ... _ruin_ a perfectly good friendship. And that wasn't fair to you. So ... I'm sorry," Martin finished, scratching the back of his neck. "I want to be your friend again. I want us to go back to being _best_ friends again."

"Don't you think I want that, too?" Aero blurted, surprised by how angry he sounded. "You were my _only _friend, Martin, and you rejected me based on something I couldn't even control? You were old enough to understand that your actions hurt me!" Martin went to speak, but Aero cut in. "No. You can't come up to me and apologize and then expect me to forgive you. I spent two years isolated, and while that isn't completely your fault, you, as my best friend, were supposed to be there for me." He took a deep breath, calming himself down. "If you _actually _want me to be your friend again, you won't skip class just to avoid me. You'll make an effort."

Martin was quiet. Then, softly, "I _will _make an effort."

Aero frowned at him. "No. No, I don't think you will."

He turned around, leaving Martin standing there, staring after him. Peter was waiting inside already, looking stricken. But he didn't ask what happened, and Aero was glad for it, because he didn't want to turn Peter into his own personal therapist. So instead he asked, "Do you know what we're working on in band today?"

And, just like that, things were normal once again.

And, well, surprise surprise — like, _actual _surprise — Martin was in the band room before the bell rang.


	7. CHAPTER FIVE

"Okay, okay, so we have four plants. Two are storebought, two are picked from a garden," Aero explained. He frowned and looked up, meeting Peter's gaze. "Uh, wait, where the hell are we going to find garden flowers in New York?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

They were currently sat at the dining room table, papers spread out in front of them as they went over their project. A three piece poster board stood at the end of the table, placed in it's own chair, glowering at the two of them intimidatingly, seeming to be pestering them about the deadline despite the fact that it wasn't even alive. Most of the adults were out of the Compound. There were still some security members, but they never bothered Aero, and they especially wouldn't if he had company over. Happy had driven Tony and Pepper to another court meeting, but, for once, Aero wasn't mad about being left out. He had better comapny.

Peter opened his mouth to answer, then stopped, stumped. "Oh. Uh. Do any grow around here?"

Aero shrugged. "Don't know. I don't leave my room that often." Peter smiled. "We can check later, we should finish this part first," he pointed out, to which Peter nodded in agreement. "So, detergent. What kind?"

Peter frowned. "Uh ... regular?"

Aero snorted. "No, I meant, like, brand. What _brand_ should we get?"

"...Tide?"

Aero fought back a grin and wrote that down. "Ok. Tide mixed with water. We water one store bought plant, one garden plant. We also water one regular plant and one store bought plant with plain water. Is that everything?" Peter nodded. "Nice. So here's how I think the poster should look like," he said, standing up and leaning over the table so he could show Peter his drawing. As he explained the way he wanted to set it up, he was struck by how close he was to Peter at that moment. It was only when Peter looked up at him that Aero realized he'd gone quiet.

"Are you okay?"

"What? Yeah, yeah, I'm— I'm fine," Aero stammered, face turning red. He hurriedly looked down at the paper and circled the last half of the poster board in the drawing. "So we can put our conclusion here, so it reads like a story," he finished. When he looked at Peter again, he saw that the other was looking toward the entrance to the kitchen. Aero turned to look the same way as he sat down again, catching sight of Rhodey, who looked between the two of them with a raised eyebrow.

"Hey," Aero greeted, smiling at him. "We're just working on our project."

"It's not problem, Pepper just called me to make sure you ate dinner," Rhodey said. Aero smiled sheepishly, shaking his head. "Then I'll make something. What do you want?"

"Oh, uh," Aero said, looking at Peter, who shrugged. "I don't know ... Mac and Cheese?" Rhodey shook his head, almost in disappointment, but moved toward the cabinet. Aero looked at Peter, who was smiling at him. "What?"

"Nothing." He looked back down at Aero's drawing. "We should keep the plants in the same conditions as each other."

"We can plant them in the back. Maybe under my window?" he suggested. Peter nodded. "Cool." At that moment, Peter's phone rang. Peter sighed and offered an apologetic smile before getting off his chair and heading into the hallway to answer the call. Aero just had enough time to heart Peter say his aunt's name before the door closed and his voice became muffled. Aero watched the door for a moment before turning to look at his uncle, who raised an eyebrow. "What?"

Rhodey shrugged. "Nothing," he stated ominously, turning back to the pot of water he'd just put on the stove.

Aero frowned. "No, come on, what? You can't just be vague about your thoughts _now_," he insisted.

Rhodey shook his head, turning back to look at Aero. After a moment, he took a seat beside Aero, who turned to look at him. Aero shifted nervously, wondering what this was about. "Is there anything you want to tell me, kid?"

Aero blinked rapidly, looking at him. "Uh, what? What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean." And he did. Of _course_ he did. Damn his uncle and his observation skills. If anyone could figure out that Aero was gay, it _would_ be his uncle. "I don't want to pressure you or anything. But if you tell me anything, it'll stay between us. I won't even tell your parents."

Aero stared at him, lips pressed together. He hated this. He hated what he was being asked. He hated that his crush on Peter was so obvious that his uncle was now _asking _if he was gay, just to confirm his suspicions. But what he hated most was how much he _wanted _to confirm it. He wanted _someone _to know, someone who wasn't Martin, someone who _wouldn't _out him to anyone, especially his parents. But he couldn't find the words to tell him. It was too hard. He was too worried.

After a moment, his uncle stood, ready to finish making dinner.

"I'm gay!" Aero blurted before he could stop himself.

Rhodey turned around and sat down again, motioning for Aero to continue.

"I'm gay and I haven't told anyone except for Martin Emerson, and that happened two years ago which is why we stopped hanging out because he threatened to out me and even though I know Mom and Dad are okay with it, they _have_ to be, they made Happy my godfather and _he's _gay, but what if they only support gay people as long as that gay person isn't their son? Oh, and now Martin is back in my life but I'm not sure if I can trust him and also I think I have a crush on Peter Parker which is the _worst _because he's such a good person and he's really cute and I don't want to run a perfectly good friendship but he _so cute_," Aero finished, before taking a deep breath.

"...Jesus, kid," Rhodey said simply. Aero couldn't help it — he laughed.

"Yeah, tell me about it," he sighed. He looked up at his uncle. "What do I do?"

"Well, for one, don't think for a moment that your parents aren't going to accept you." Aero nodded, though he knew that thought would always be in his head so long as he kept his sexuality hidden from his parents. Until he came out to them, he had no idea what their reaction would be, and neither did anyone else. "Second, I don't know anything about this Martin kid, but he sounds like an asshole and you shouldn't be hanging out with him." He sighed. "But you should trust your own instincts, and if you think he's actually going to make an effort to change, than you should be the one to decide if you get to hang out with him or not."

Aero nodded thoughtfully, then frowned. "What about Peter?"

"Can't help you there, kid. You're on your own."

Aero snorted, but he couldn't help but feel immensely better despite the fact that he was going to be dealing with his crush on Peter by himself. Someone else knew about his sexuality. Someone he was close to. And that person didn't mind one bit, didn't even bat an eye, and Aero couldn't be more thankful for Rhodey acting like he was _normal_. Because maybe he was normal. Well, as normal as the son of Iron Man could be, anyway.

Peter slipped back into the kitchen and took his seat again. "Sorry about that, my aunt just called. She wants to know when I'm getting home since it's already super late," he said, almost offhandedly. Aero frowned, looking at the time, and saw that it was nearly six o'clock. It would take almost an hour to get Peter back home, and Happy wasn't even at the Compound to drive him back yet. Who _knows_ when Peter was going to get home?

"I can drive you," he offered, until Rhodey loudly cleared his throat and Aero remembered that driving Peter would require permission from his parents, and since he didn't know if they were still busy, he didn't want to risk it.

Peter shook his head. "I can wait for Happy," he assured.

"I don't even know when the meetings getting out. I don't think they do, either," Aero sighed, referring to his parents. "I mean ... they could be back in five minutes, or in five hours." He thought for a moment before shrugging. "You could ... I don't know, you could spend the night. If you want!" Aero added quickly, before Peter could get a word in. "You don't have to if that's too weird, sorry."

Ears burning, Aero ducked his head. He could almost _feel _his uncle staring at him with amusement as Aero embarrassed himself further, and he couldn't even be mad, because if Aero had been watching the scene himself, and he was a completely different person, he would find it funny, too.

Luckily, Peter smiled. "It's not weird at all. I'll call May and ask if that's alright."

As soon as he cleared the room, Rhodey cleared his throat, making Aero turn around to face him. He frowned. "Not that I don't support this idea, kid, but are you sure it's a good thing for Peter to sleep over?"

Aero looked down. "Because I like him?"

"No, I don't care about that. I'm asking because you've have night terrors and they've been becoming more frequent," he pointed out, making Aero go pale. Crap, he'd completely forgotten about them.

Coming from a bad childhood home had left Aero with a lot of things. Night terrors were one of them. When he was younger, he used to go days without sleeping, and he only really started getting better when he realized that his parents were always going to be there for him. But because of Maxine and all the stress he'd been under for the past few years (not to mention the idea of coming out, the possibility of being outed, and never really having any friends), he'd started having them again. He'd had one the night before he asked his parents about going to a real school, and he still hadn't told them. He'd told Rhodey, though, and made him promise not to say anything.

Then, just last night, he was woken up by Tony, who had gotten back from a late meeting, and was told that he had been yelling in his sleep, and had been practically inconsolable when Tony woke him up. Pepper had wanted him to stay home from school the next day — today — but Aero had refused.

"They don't happen when someone else is in the room," Aero argued.

Rhodey sighed. "I don't know if you should risk that, kid. But it's your choice."

Aero frowned at that. He knew his uncle didn't mean to sound condescending, but it definitely came out that way. He turned away, wondering if he _would _have a night terror. They _had _been becoming more frequent, with two just in the last week, give or take a few days. Not as bad as when he was a kid, but still pretty bad for someone who hadn't had them since he was ten.

Aero pushed the thoughts away. It would be fine. And, even if it wasn't, Peter would understand. At least, Aero _hoped _he would understand. Peter could deal with a lot of things, like Aero being the son of Tony Stark, but what if he drew the line at night terrors? A weird line to draw, Aero supposed.

Still, he wondered if he should even try to sleep that night, just in case.

[ _in my head a voice says somethin' _]

Aero didn't miss the look of astonishment that Peter got when he saw his room. He just ... didn't understand it.

Aero's room was nothing special. At least, he hoped it wasn't. He didn't like spending money on himself too often, and he made sure his dad didn't, either. It was set up like a master bedroom in a single family house — so, yes, he had a personal bathroom. He also had a queen sized bed. But other than that, his room was plain. There were no posters hung up on the walls, and he didn't have a 20,000$ laptop stashed in the corner. Hell, his own phone was at least four years old, even if it _was _an iPhone. His closet wasn't a walk-in, either. Maybe it was just the size of the room itself that impressed Peter, or maybe it was how plain it was.

Then Peter frowned. "I thought you had instruments," he mused, before getting flustered. "Sorry, that sounded really entitled."

Aero blinked at him, confused. "What? No, it didn't. You're fine," he assured, not knowing where Peter got that idea from. "I have a guitar in the closet, but I don't own any other instruments."

Peter looked baffled. "What? How do you practice?"

Aero shrugged. "Well, when Ms. Cambell sets me up with a percussion kit, I can practice on _that_, but I the most I ever practice piano was when I used to be friends with Martin and would go over to his house," he explained.

Peter hesitated, and Aero knew he wanted to ask about his past friendship with Martin. And that was okay, Peter had a right to be curious after Aero had practically blown up at Martin yesterday, but just because he _could _ask didn't mean Aero _would _answer. But Peter didn't ask, and Aero went to sit on his bed. Peter looked around, faintly embarrassed, until Aero motioned for him to sit on the bed as well. Peter smiled, sat down, and then the awkward silence began.

No one — well, _friend-_wise, that is — had been in Aero's room before. He didn't know why. It's not like he banned anyone. But he'd never had someone who _wasn't _Tony or Pepper in his room, save for the moving guys a few months ago, when they were setting up his room. He felt like it must have shown, because Peter smiled at him reassuringly and asked, "You play guitar?"

Aero nodded. "It's the one instrument I've consistently practiced with. Uh, do you, uh, do you want to hear me play?" _Ugh, why did I even ask_, Aero thought to himself. He felt embarrassed about asking at all. Peter was obviously going to say yes, but it was probably because he was a nice guy and wouldn't turn down Aero's offer, even if he didn't want to hear Aero play, which Aero would have _understood _and, quite honestly, _preferred. _It's not like he _wouldn't _play for Peter, but he had a thing about playing in front of other people — he didn't. Ever.

He didn't want to play guitar in front of people. Aero knew he was good. That wasn't him trying to be cocky, that was him knowing he was damn well good with an instrument, especially guitar, and not wanting to hide it. He knew he would get complimented, and then asked why he never showed off, which would just lead to the long sob sotry of hiding secrets to maintain his family's perfect image.

Yet, when Peter nodded — eagerly, Aero noted, both distressed and also quite happy — Aero got up and retrieved his guitar from the closet.

It was a nice model. Pretty expensive, for someone who never played in front of other people, but it wasn't over 1,000 dollars, both because Aero didn't see the need and also because he didn't want his parents to be suspicious. It was a wooden guitar, black (obviously, because Aero had _definitely _been going through a phase when he had boughten it), and it was a little banged up, but otherwise would sell for a pretty good price.

He sat down, feeling his ears start to burn. Peter smiled at him, and Aero quickly went to tune the guitar, praying to whatever God was out there that he wouldn't embarrass himself. Once he was sure that everything was in order, Aero felt a knot of nerves begin to form in his stomach. Why did he feel this way? Was it just because of Peter, or was it the reality of playing in front of _anyone_? He knew he had to get over his fear of playing in front of audiences if he ever wanted a _chance _of being a performer, but he couldn't help but wish he was _already _over it, which, oof, sounded pretty entitled to him, too.

Then he started playing.

Every nerve disappeared with each note. The longer he played, the less scared he felt, though he didn't look away from the guitar even if he could play it with his eyes closed. He didn't know what he started playing, but it very quickly became clear that he was playing _The Odyssey_ by Cadence Dorian, a long-time favorite of his. He went through the notes and played the right chords, though he was careful not to hum along. He was already playing the guitar, he didn't need to _sing _to further his embarrassment.

He played the final note to a silent room.

Then, "That was _so cool_, Aero, really, how did you learn to play and can you teach me to play? No, wait, that's dumb, sorry, I don't even have a guitar and I don't really want to know how to play, I just want to listen to _you _play because you're _so good_, and you played such a nice song and what song is it? It sounds like a sweet song and I want to listen to it but I'm sure your version is much better and—"

"Peter," Aero cut it, quickly realizing that Peter was going to keep rambling unless he was stopped. Aero smiled at him. "I appreciate what you're saying," he added, just so he didn't seem like a total asshole. "It's called The Odyssey, and it's by a woman named Candence Dorian. It's a song close to my heart," he added, making Peter smile shyly.

"It sounds like a really good song. I'll listen to it later," he decided, taking out his phone. Aero watched with little tamed amusement as Peter literally _set a reminder _on his phone, for the next day, for what looked to be after school, to listen to the song. At least he was committed, Aero told himself, because Aero himself was the type of person to say, 'I'll watch / listen to that later,' only to never follow through because, truly, he didn't feel like it. Even if Peter didn't listen to the song, he still set a reminder to, which was more than anyone else, Aero included, could say.

God, look at him, going into long explanations about why Peter was a good person. It's not like he _needed_ to explain it. Everyone seemed to know that Peter was kind, and maybe that's why some of them bullied him. Even just that morning, Ned had mentioned, quietly, that Flash and a few other boys had been harassing Peter just because of Aero's friendship. And that made Aero angry. He'd wanted to fight them, but Ned had managed to convince him not to. Which is another reason Aero had brought Peter into his room, he supposed — he wanted to know if Peter even wanted to be his friend anymore.

Peter would say yes. Of _course _he would, and not because Aero was a Stark. The boy was just nice like that. But if being friends with Aero meant that he was going to get hurt, then Aero didn't want to inconvenience Peter any longer.

Look at him, being selfless and shit. Maxine would have laughed.

"I heard Flash was giving you shit earlier," he commented, making Peter look down, which only served to confirm Aero's words. "What does he even bully you about?"

"Being a nerd," Peter said simply. Aero frowned, putting his guitar to the side.

"He bullies you for being a nerd ... at a _school_ for nerds?" Aero tried to clarify, incredulous.

Peter laughed. "Wait, I've never thought about it like that. That _is _weird," he mused, smiling brightly.

Aero stared at him for a moment, distracted, before shaking his head and snapping himself back to reality. He didn't understand how Peter could be so happy when talking about bullying, but he still managed to make the room brighter. "Is there anything I can do?" he asked.

Peter shrugged. "Uh, no, not really. I guess just don't listen to Flash too often, most of the time he doesn't know when to shut up." Aero raised an eyebrow. That had to be the most negative thing that he'd ever heard Peter say.

"But does he bully you because I'm friends with you?" Aero finally asked, deciding to be blunt.

Peter tilted his head, confused, before shaking his head quickly. "No. It's been happening for a while. I mean, maybe it's been more frequent, but it's just insults. No one's ever, like, beat me up, if that's what you're asking." Peter shrugged, then seemed to reconsider that statement, but didn't correct himself, so Aero figured that either something had happened or Peter had just been wondering if someone _had _beaten him out before. Aero hoped not. Peter was rather cute. "Besides, it doesn't get to me anymore. They're just ... mean. I don't care about it," he said easily, which Aero didn't have trouble believing. So he did.

"That's good. But if they ever hurt you, I'll send a drone after them." Peter laughed, but quickly seemed to realize that Aero wasn't joking. He smiled anyway.

"Thank you."

Aero nodded in satisfaction. He got up and put his guitar away before sitting down again. Peter was looking around again, and Aero almost got the sense that he was bored. "I'm not really an expert at sleepovers," Aero admitted, making Peter's eyes go to him. "What do people ... do?" he asked, spreading his hands in a 'what?' motion. Peter smiled, almost laughing. "Hey, it's not funny," Aero said, unable to fight back his own smile.

"Sorry, sorry, you're right." Peter shook his head. "Uh, with Ned, we normally watch a movie, probably Star Wars. Sometimes we'll make smores. We don't really tell each other secrets because we know everything about each other. But I don't think our idea of a sleepover is the same as everyone else's'," he mused, making Aero nod. Peter checked his phone. "It is getting pretty late, though. What time do you normally go to bed?"

"About ... eight?" Aero guessed. Peter looked surprised. "I value sleep, and I have to get up pretty early because we live so far away, so I just like going to bed early. But I can stay up late, if that's what you'd prefer," Aero added quickly, blushing. Peter shook his head. "Really, Peter, it's fine, if you want to stay up late—"

"Aero, I'm not going to make you disrupt your sleeping schedule just for a sleepover," he protested. "We can go to bed at eight. How early do we have to be up?"

"Depends. We should probably stop by your place so you can get changed in the morning, so about ... five-thirty?" he guessed. Peter nodded, not looking the least bit bothered. "We still have time to watch something. Have you ever heard of Camp Camp? We can probably watch six episodes," Aero mused.

"Camp ... Camp?" Peter asked, sounding interested. That was a plus, at least.

Aero smiled at him. "Yep. Come on, you'll love it."

[ _there's a dream outside your door _]

"Okay ... _what _just happened?" Peter asked, staring at the TV screen with wide eyes. "That kid was a ghost! And those people ... in that dungeon..." He faked a shiver. Aero snorted, throwing a piece of popcorn at him. Peter caught it reflexively, which impressed Aero. "Seriously. Can we watch the next episode? I see Preston in the thumbnail, and I _need _more Preston content," he insisted. Aero looked up at the ceiling, fighting back a smile.

"Sure, but only because Preston is _obviously _the best character," he teased, picking up the remote to go to the next episode.

Peter watched it with rapt interest, his eyes glued to the screen. Aero, however, couldn't tear his eyes away from Peter's face. Besides the fact that he had seen _Romeo & Juliet II: Love Resurrected _too many times to count, Peter was just so damn _pretty_. His hair was swooped back, and Aero knew it would fall into his face with a slight curl if Peter didn't keep playing with it and pushing it back. He was wearing a large sweatshirt that Aero had found in the back of his closet, with a pair of brand new Christmas pajama pants that Aero had had stuffed at the bottom of his dresser for one reason — they were _way _too colorful, and Aero was still coming out of his emo phase. And, up close, his eyes were lighter. They matched his hair color perfectly. If he put on something blue, Aero was sure the color would _pop_.

Peter turned to look at him, smiling. Aero couldn't help but smile back before he turned his attention back to the screen. He was stretched out on the couch, with Peter taking up a modest space at the other end. Aero had offered to move his legs, but Peter claimed he was comfortable, so Aero stayed where he was, lazily eating popcorn as they binged the animated series. He checked his phone and saw that it was approaching eight-thirty, but he didn't want to ruin the fun, so he put his phone down and pretended they still had time.

At the end of the episode, Peter checked his own phone and frowned. "Oh, sorry, I didn't realize it was getting late."

Aero shrugged. "Don't worry about it, I'm good." He sat up, setting the bowl on the coffee table. "Do you want to sleep out here or in my room?" he asked. They _did _have a guest room, but Aero wasn't sure if his uncle was staying over or not, and he didn't want to inconvenience his uncle by making him give up his bed for Peter.

"We can sleep in your room. I'll take the floor," Peter said immediately.

Aero shook his head quickly. "Ohhh, no, don't play the hero here. We go in my room, I'm getting the floor. No arguments."

Peter frowned. "But—... Okay, then we'll sleep out here," he agreed. Aero nodded, standing up.

"I'll go get blankets," he said. "Pick the couch you want, yeah? I'll be back in two minutes."

Before Peter had a chance to protest, Aero hurried out of the room, heading down the hall that led to all of the bedrooms — well, all three of them, that is. The Avengers Compound was meant for, well, Avengers business. Not S.H.I.E.L.D. It wasn't even meant to _house _the Avengers, it was just easier for the Starks and an occasional guest to stay at the compound. As such, there weren't many blankets and pillows just laying around, but Aero managed to collect two blankets and two pillows, most of it from his own room. He headed back down the hall, trying to see around the large stack of sleep equipment in his arms.

Upon stepping into the living room, Peter took the two pillows, making it easier fro Aero to see over the stack. "Thanks," he sighed. "Where are you sleeping?"

Peter shrugged. "Whichever couch you don't pick."

Aero smiled at him, shaking his head. He knew it was best not to argue, as Peter was too nice of a guy to want the first pick. He sighed and went to the couch furthest from the door. He put down one of the blankets before tossing the other one to Peter, who caught it without a struggle. Aero raised an eyebrow, and Peter looked sheepish. "Nice reflexes," he noted.

Peter looked down, blushing. "Heh, yeah."

Aero shrugged and snagged a pillow from where Peter had set them. He quickly set up his bed for the night, sitting down when he was done. Peter was watching him from the couch, having finished his bed quickly. Aero thought for a moment — they _could _go to sleep, or they could be tired tomorrow from having watched the rest of the first season of Camp Camp. He held up the remote, and after a moment Peter nodded quickly. Aero sat back after putting on the next episode, sneaking glances at Peter every now and again, smiling to himself.

Yeah. He could get used to this.

_This_ meaning having friends. Or even just _a _friend. Someone he could talk with everyday while sharing secret smiles and inside jokes. He could get used to seeing the same face everyday. But he would _never_ get used to the fact that _he _got to hang out with _Peter_. Because, the truth is, no one would ever compare to Peter Parker.

Jesus _Christ_, he was _so _whipped.

"...Is David going to _kill _them?" Peter whispered loudly, making Aero laugh.

"Who, _David_? He would _never_!" Aero scolded. Peter shot him a grin. "Though ... David being a killer? Sounds hot."

Peter raised an eyebrow at him. "Wait, you think _David's_ hot?"

Aero shrugged. "I mean ... why not?"

Peter shrugged. "Yeah, fair enough. I'm more partial to David Tennant, though."

"...I _love _David Tennant."

It seemed they wouldn't be sleeping that much after all.


	8. CHAPTER SIX

7:28 AM.

They were going to be late.

"Drive slower!" Peter encouraged.

Which would have been a great idea, if Aero wasn't terrified out of his _fucking _mind!

By morning, his parents still weren't home. Tony had sent him a text — _Stuck in the city for the night. You can drive yourself to school tomorrow. _And that was it. No follow up.No _Mom said you can drive yourself. Tony _said Aero could, and Aero wasn't going to pass up the chance. But no follow up meant that they had woken up late, and now Aero was trying not to get arrested as he drove, switching lanes every so often like he was in a goddamn car chase, when he was really just a simple student trying to get his education.

He spared a glance at Peter, who was clutching his seat belt tightly as the car wove between lanes of traffic, going a little bit — well, 'a little bit' — over the speed limit. He smiled to himself, then returned his gaze to the road, mentally smacking himself for ever looking away in the first place. He was supposed to be following the rules! And that also meant the law! He couldn't just take his eyes off the road when the whole world was watching him. "We won't be late!"

"Aero, I'd rather get detention than die," Peter scolded, though he looked a little excited as they passed yet another car which was _also _going over the speed limit. "Relax. We'll still have time to get to class!"

"Barely," Aero protested.

"Aero, we'll be fine," Peter assured him, though his pale expression said otherwise. He was worried about being late, too. He probably had a perfect attendance record that he couldn't afford to ruin.

Aero sat back in his seat. The time had changed to 7:29, four minutes until the bell rang to start school, and they were still ten minutes away. If they got there in ten minutes, they'd only have a minute to get to Ms. Warren's class (seven minute passing period, thank _God_), and since she was a strict teacher, Aero assumed he and Peter would be doing lunch detention for the next two days. There was _no way _they were going to make it on time. Though, then again, spending a whole lunch with Peter, _alone_, was a very, _very _tempting thought. One that Aero couldn't afford to have, because if Peter was going to be unhappy, _Aero _was going to be unhappy.

Those four minutes passed. They were now four minutes away, courtesy of Aero's wicked driving skills.

They pulled into the parking lot, both of them unbuckling their seat belts before Aero had even found a parking spot. He parked the car, put the keys in his pocket, and rushed out, Peter close behind. Peter tossed him his backpack, and Aero fumbled with it as they both raced through the halls. With a minute to spare, they burst into Ms. Warren's class, and earned themselves a classroom of kids giving them weird looks. Their confusion was only intensified when they noticed _who _was running inside like madmen — Peter Parker, who was probably the school's prime goodie-goodie, and Aero Stark, who, well, was _Aero_ _Stark_. Not exactly most expected combo.

"Ah, Peter and Aero," Ms. Warren greeted. "You were almost late."

"But we weren't _totally_ late?" Aero tried. She sighed, shaking her head before she motioned for them to sit down. Aero sighed and let Peter walk in front of him. Peter took his usual place, and Aero sat beside Betty Brant, the blonde girl who had smiled at him on his first day. She gave him another greeting smile before turning to face the front of the room, her hands clasped together. Aero nodded to her as he got out the notebook he was using in this class specifically.

The bell rang overhead. Aero allowed himself to relax.

Then Betty leaned over and whispered, "You should be careful around Flash."

Aero frowned, glancing at Ms. Warren, who was at the front sorting through the lesson plan. "Why?" he whispered back.

She rolled her eyes. "After you basically called him out for being a self-centered jerk, he started spreading rumors about you and Peter." Aero pursed his lips. He didn't need her to elaborate. He was pretty sure he knew _exactly _what Flash was saying. And since Peter and him had come in, nearly late, at the same time, he knew that these rumors would only spread faster, and that wouldn't be good for multiple reasons, mainly because he didn't want his freindship with Peter to become awkward, and being surrounded by dating rumors was _bound _to make Peter uncomfortable.

He nodded to her. "Thanks," he said, making her nod. She returned to her previous action of waiting for the lesson to start, leaving Aero in a pit of anxiety that he couldn't seem to crawl out of. He, personally, didn't care about rumors — nothing could be proved from them without evidence, and Flash — and anyone else, really — didn't have enough to confirm if Aero was even gay, much less if Peter and Aero were romantically interested in each other. Ugh, why did he always have to like the straight ones? It would be so much easier to just find a cute gay boy on TikTok and be done with it, but _nooooo, _he has to like the cute, nerdy boy that anyone with _eyes _would find attractive.

It turns out that Betty was right — Aero should have watched his language around Flash. Because now, whenever he passed by a group in the halls on the way to class, their stares turned from _OMG, it's Aero Stark! _to _Wait, is Aero Stark dating Peter Parker? _It's not like he minded — and Peter seemed oblivious to it, too, so he supposed that was a plus. But he _was _getting a little irritated, especially at lunch, when he caught several people he didn't even know the names of looking over at their lunch table like they somehow knew that Aero was into Peter. Or maybe that was his own fear of Peter finding out, and in reality they were just staring at him because of his dad. Either way, it was annoying.

It was even more annoying when Bea appeared at the edge of their table, dragging Martin along with her.

"Can we sit here?" she asked brightly, which immediately set off Aero's fight or flight response. He glanced at Peter, who caught his eye and shrugged, a sign to Aero that this was his choice to make. _Since I obviously have a history with Martin_, Aero thought.

He gritted his teeth. He couldn't really expect Martin to make up for the past if he kept brushing him off.

"Sure," he forced out, regretting the word as soon as Martin took a seat next to him. Bea sat down across from them, next to Ned, who also looked uncomfortable.

Bea didn't seem to notice. She leaned over the table and looked straight at Aero. "So, are you going to the party tonight?" At his confused look, she sighed. "_Flash's _party? Kinda show him up, you know? Prove that you're not bothered by his rumors?"

"Uh, no, I wasn't invited," Aero pointed out.

"He doesn't invite people. You just need to show up," Martin told him. Aero frowned, looking at Peter, who shrugged.

"I'll go if you do," Peter offered, seeming to sense Aero's hesitance. "His parties aren't even that bad, if your parents worry about it. No one drinks," he added, which surprised Aero. He figured that if anyone was the type to drink, it would be one of the popular kids — or, Flash. But he supposed it shouldn't be too surprising. This was a school for gifted kids, right? Maybe they were smart enough not to drink. Maybe they were secret drinkers and Peter just didn't know. But if Peter assured him that there wouldn't be alcohol, maybe Aero could assure his parents enough that he could at least go to the party with friends.

"I'll ask," he finally said, and that was the end of that.

[ _ready, set, not yet _]

Or not.

"No," Pepper said immediately.

Aero originally didn't want to go to the party. He hated crowds, he hated staying out late, and he really just wanted to stay home and listen to _Beetlejuice: The Musical _on repeat for the rest of the night. But now that he had explicit knowledge that he wasn't allowed to go to Flash's stupid party, that's all he wanted to do. Screw getting a good night of sleep — he wanted to hang out with Peter at a stupid party with their friends and sort-of-friends-but-not-really. He wanted to 'show up Flash,' whatever that meant. And he wanted his parents to trust him.

"Come _on_, Peter's going to be there," Aero pleaded. "You guys know him, he's a good kid, I won't get in any trouble!"

"Kid," Tony began.

"I'm not a kid," Aero snapped. Tony raised an eyebrow, making Aero backtrack. "I just mean— I'm just— we won't get into trouble," he insisted. "And I've never even _been _to a party before! _And _Happy can pick me up super early! And ... and I can—"

"You're not going to let this go, are you?" Tony asked. Aero shook his head.

"_Please_?"

Tony shared a look with Pepper, who sighed heavily. Aero looked at her hopefully. "...Fine," she finally relented. Aero jumped up, grinning. "But you're getting picked up at nine, and you're going to text us when you get there. And if they even _mention _drinking—"

"I'll call Happy," Aero finished. "Thank you, thank you, _thank you_, I'm going to get dressed, you aren't going to regret this, I promise, thank you!" he called over his shoulder. He heard Tony chuckle just before the door closed behind him as he raced to his room. He honestly couldn't believe that he'd managed to convince them. Then again, he'd been able to go to a real school. Maybe convincing them wasn't that hard, if Aero knew just the right words and knew the right people **— **specifically, Peter and Happy.

He picked up his phone, which was on it's charger, as he sat on the edge of his bed. Peter's contact was already pulled up, as they'd been texting before Aero had gone to ask about the party. Peter's last message stared back at him:

**Peter: **_are you coming?_

Aero smiled and typed out a reply.

**Aero: **_yep. want me to pick you up?_  
**Peter: **_yeah. can Ned come with?_  
**Aero: **_hell yes. call you when we're there_  
**Peter: **_thank you!_

He laughed. Peter's texting had gotten a little more informal, but he still used a lot of exclamation marks. At least he wasn't capitalizing his words anymore.

Aero stood up and walked over to his closet, riling through it. He wasn't going to be flashy at the party, but he wasn't going to wear sweatpants a t-shirt, like he was wearing now. And he couldn't wear an Iron Man shirt, how cliche would that be? Maybe he could wear a plain black shirt ... no, that was too boring. There was a floral patterned, bright shirt staring at him, but he wasn't trying to draw attention to himself (though he knew he'd look damn good in it, and would probably catch Peter's attention). There were a bunch of graphic t-shirts and nice suits, but nothing he owned was exactly high-school-party appropriate.

Aero sighed in frustration, running a hand through his hair. He still had half-an-hour to get ready. He just needed to breath. And think.

Comfortable. Not flashy. Not boring.

He pulled out a black jean jacket and laid it on his bed, then put a dark blue shirt-hood on top of it. The colors matched — the hood on the shirt was a light grey, which matched the blue, which matched the jacket. With black jeans, the clothes were a perfect match of dark and comfortable, without being too drabby or too flashy.

Aero had just finished getting dressed when his phone vibrated with a text.

**Unknown: **_Hey, it's Bea. Can you pick me up for the party? Martin's parents don't want to pick me up and I don't have a way to get there._

Aero frowned. How did Bea even get his number? Did they even have space for her? And, wait, did Aero even _want _her to come with them? Not really. But he didn't exactly want to be an asshole to her when they were starting to get along. Besides the car was going to have five seats total — Aero, Happy, Peter, Ned ... they had just enough room for her to ride with them. So, with a sigh, Aero texted her back.

**Aero: **_Sure. Text me your address. We're leaving soon._  
**Unknown: **_thank you so much! Here:_

Aero sighed, but figured it was no use regretting his choice now. He finished getting dressed and made sure he had his phone on him before stepping out into the hall. He headed down to the garage, where Happy was already waiting for him. Say what you want, but that man always seemed to know his job, and Aero appreciated it, because it seemed like him just trying to chose the right outfit took away at least ten minutes of their time. He climbed into the car in the backseat and showed Happy Bea's address, telling him that they needed to pick her up, too.

"Wait, who's Bea?" Happy asked.

"Friend of Martin's."

"Emerson?"

"_Yes_, Martin Emerson, there's no other kid named Martin in New York because _most _people aren't basic."

"I thought he hurt your feelings and now you hate him," Happy mused.

"He threatened to out me, he didn't 'hurt my feelings,'" Aero said casually. Happy went quiet, and it took Aero a moment to realize why. When his brain finally caught up with his words, he froze and began to stammer. "Uh, I mean— no, wait, he actually _did_— he called me a mean name, you know how it is, and ... and..." Aero trailed off. There was no point in lying, especially because he obviously couldn't play it off properly. "...Yeah, he threatened to out me."

"You're ... bi?" Happy guessed.

"Gay," Aero corrected, voice growing softer. "I'm gay." Then, "My parents don't know."

Happy nodded slowly. It took him a moment to speak. "Okay. Cool."

And that was the end of that.

Aero wondered how he should feel. He _had _just accidently come out, but it didn't feel bad. He got a good reaction. There was no questions, no overreactions. Just a simply nod and a few words to make Aero feel better, and they moved on. He liked that. He also liked how he didn't have to disclose his crush on Peter. He got the feeling that Happy wouldn't be too, well, _happy_ that he was crushing on Peter Parker.

They pulled up next to a rickety looking apartment building. Almost instantly, Bea exited the building. She looked around for a moment before spotting the car and heading over. Aero was temped to tell Happy to step on it, but he knew that was harsh, even for him. So he waited. And he forced a smile when she got into the car. She smiled back, but she seemed a little uneasy, like she wasn't sure if she was allowed to ride with them despite already having permission.

"So are we picking up Parker?" she asked after she buckled in.

"Yeah, him and Ned," Aero clarified. "We'll figure out the seating arrangements when we pick them up." She nodded. The rest of the car ride continued on in silence. It was an awkward ten minutes. Luckily Peter didn't leave too much further, or Aero would have lost his mind. It was too quiet. Happy didn't put on any music, and Aero felt like it would be rude to put in his headphones and listen to _Beetlejuice_. Then he wondered when he's started trying to impress Bea at all. It shouldn't matter if he was rude to her or not. But he kept his phone in his pocket anyway.

Finally, they pulled up to Peter's apartment building. Aero went to get out his phone, but Happy stopped him. "I actually have to deliver some papers to Peter's aunt for his internship, so I'll just go up." He didn't sound entirely truthful, but Aero didn't protest. He wondered what the real reason was, but figured it wasn't that important.

Aero watched him go. It was quiet for a moment before Bea spoke up. "Let's play twenty questions."

Aero blinked, staring at her. 'What?"

She rolled her eyes. "Twenty questions. The game where we get to know each other. If you're going to be hanging out with Martin, that means you're hanging out with me, and _that_ means we're going to be friends. Or at least tolerate each other." She gave him a sarcastic smile. Aero scowled at her. "Come on, you start. We won't get too deep, okay? And there won't be any questions about the Avengers." She analyzed Aero's hesitant expression. "I think he's going to be a while. Or he won't be. Either way, we have time."

Aero sighed heavily. This was a bad idea. Every warning bell in his head was gong off. And yet, he relented, "_Fine_. I'll start." He thought for a moment. "What's your happiest memory?"

"I thought we said no deep questions," she teased. "But ... probably getting my internship. I worked hard to get it, and there was a few weeks where I thought it wouldn't happen." She smiled wistfully. "Okay, uh, favorite superhero? And _no_, you can't say your dad!" she added quickly, which deprived Aero of his cop-out answer

"...Spider-Man, easy."

"Really?"

Aero shrugged. "What made you want to be a journalist?"

Bea looked uncomfortable, which was a surprise. Then she sighed. "My parents weren't around much, so I went to live with my uncle. He always wanted to be a writer, but he had to give up his dreams to take care of his family — including me. He died a few years ago, and I went back with my mom. And she doesn't encourage me like he did, so I decided to follow through with my passion and become a writer."

Aero nodded. "That's sweet."

"Whatever." She shook her head. "First crush?"

"D—" Aero stopped himself. Took a deep breath. He would _not _be coming out again tonight, and especially not to Bea. He would _not _say David Tennant. "Debby Ryan," he decided, trying to remember the old Disney Channel days. She was the only name he could think of that started with D. Other than that, his mind was blank. "But only from Jessie," he added. Bea nodded. "What about you?"

"...Martin," she said, almost too quietly. "My first crush was on Martin."

"..._Why_?" Aero asked incredulously. Could he blame her? Not really. He'd had a brief crush on Martin when he was younger, too. But, still, _really_? Bea had had a crush on _Martin_? Did she get over it? Did she still _like _him?

"He was nice. And he's my only friend," she told him. And Aero could understand the feeling. Being isolated and only having one friend ... romantic feelings came out of nowhere, and most of the time they didn't make sense. He wondered if they had dated. Or if she had made any moves. Or if _Martin _had made any moves. Then he wondered why he cared — he wasn't friends with either of them, and if he _was_, it would be reluctantly, out of a sense of guilt. It wouldn't be because he liked either of them. So why did he care?

Ugh. He didn't still _like _Martin, did he?

No. Aero definitely liked Peter. He couldn't imagine liking anyone else.

But still...

"Have you ever been in love?"

He blinked, staring at her. "Uh ... what?"

She rolled her eyes. "Have you ever been in _love_, Aero. Like, full-on, 'I would die for you and I want to see you safe,' love. Like they're the only person that matters sometimes. Like everytime you see them, you light up and you can't think straight whenever they're around."

Aero looked away, took a deep breath, and then looked at her again. "No. I've never been in love." _...But I think I'm getting there, _he thought, because when he looked over her shoulder, he saw Peter exiting the apartment building, excitedly talking with Ned. He couldn't help but smile, but he tried to hide it, hating the way Bea had perfectly described him when he was around Peter — bright. Unable to think, especially when Peter smiled. It was horrible (not Peter's smile, of course, because how could that ever be horrible? A lot of words came to mind, to describe Peter's smile — beautiful. Breathtaking. Nerdy. Cute. But never horrible. It was honestly one of the things Aero was starting to look forward to the most).

"Oh, they're here," Aero said, trying to sound like he just noticed. Bea glanced out the window and frowned, which was a surprising reaction. He obviously didn't assume she would be happy and smiling, but he hadn't been expecting something negative.

He didn't have time to react to it. He got out of the car to meet Peter outside.

Peter smiled at him in greeting, and it took a moment for Aero to find his voice. "Uh— you— middle?"

Peter hesitated, looking confused. "Sorry?"

Aero mentally facepalmed. "Do you want to sit in the middle or the front? I mean, you can sit on one of the end seats, but Bea's sitting in one and I prefer the other and I hate sitting in the front, so—"

"Can I call shotgun?" Ned blurted.

Aero blinked. "Uh, yeah, totally." He looked at Peter, who shrugged and smiled. "If Happy seems angry, he's not. Just bug him," he added, smiling slyly. Peter stifled a laugh and Aero led him to the other side of the car, where he had gotten out of. Peter climbed in first, apparently perfectly fine with being in the middle. Aero got in after him and closed the door, just as Happy got back into the car.

The ride to Flash's house was loud — Peter talked with Bea, which, yeah, okay, made Aero a little jealous. And Ned was pestering Happy, who was very obviously trying not to snap at him (oops). Aero took to scrolling through Twitter on his phone, trying not to be jealous that Peter was mow laughing at a joke that Bea had told. He shouldn't care. Peter didn't like Bea. Or maybe he did. But he obviously didn't, right? And _now _Aero was questioning reality because why would Peter even like Bea when he rarely ever talked to her/ And—

"We're here," Happy announced, sounding relived.

Aero blinked, trying to remember what he was doing. Party. Right. He got out of the car and moved out of the way so Peter and Bea could follow. He leaned against Happy's door, jumping slightly when the window rolled down. Happy raised his eyebrows. "Have a good night, kid. I'll pick you up at nine-thirty."

Aero frowned. "Mom said nine."

Happy smiled. "We'll pick up food on the way back. Maybe it took too long. Maybe we have to give Peter a ride back. Plus, you know how traffic is."

Aero grinned at him, nodding. "Oh, yeah, the traffic in New York is terrible. And don't get me started on the lines for food." He pulled his jacket tighter around himself. "I'll see you later!" Then he turned and walked up to Peter, who had waited for him while Ned and Bea made there way inside. They shared a quick, nervous smile before diving into the lion's den together.

It was loud. And crowded. And hot, temperature wise. Aero hated it.

He lost track of Peter five minutes in. The song being played from the DJ booth was too loud and too fast, and people were jumping and yelling and laughing. He was sure he saw more than one couple sneaking upstairs, but he paid them no mind. It took him at least ten minutes to find a safe corner to hide in, his back against the wall as he looked around, regretting every choice that led him to this moment — standing in Flash Thompson's house, no friends to be seen, with his teeth rattling in his mouth with how loud the music was. It _sucked_.

He tried not to look at anyone when they passed by. He didn't want a single look of pity.

Someone grabbed his arm and pulled him away from the wall. Aero pulled his arm away and turned to glare at the person, but it was only Peter, who quickly held his arms up in defense. "Sorry!" he shouted over the music. Even with his yelling, Aero could barely hear him. "I thought— quieter— outside!" He motioned to two glass doors that led to a patio outside. After a moment, Aero nodded. Peter grabbed his hand instead of his arm, and Aero was suddenly glad it was so hot, because now he had an excuse as to why his face was bright red and hotter than a person with a fever.

Peter was right — it _was _quieter outside. The doors were unlocked, but no one was on the patio. It was just them. And the booming bass and loud laughter behind the now-closed doors, but, really, just them. And Peter looked nervous.

"You looked like you were considering leaving," he said.

Aero shook his head. "Nah, not unless you and Ned had rides home."

"What about Bea?"

"What about Bea?"

Peter almost laughed. He stopped himself, then muttered, "I hate parties. But I think I hate Flash's parties more."

Aero frowned. "Then why did you come with?"

"...Because you wanted to."

Aero blinked. Once. Twice. He may have blushed. Then he laughed. "Wait, you— you thought I wanted to come to this party?" Looking confused, Peter nodded. "Peter, I came because _you _wanted to."

It was silent for a moment. Then Peter laughed. It was a nice sound — a nerdy giggle that sent Aero's heart into overdrive. God, he had it too bad. He only hoped it didn't show on his face, because if it did he knew he would be making the biggest heart-eyes at Peter Parker, who was somehow the _perfect _boy and would probably be the _perfect _boyfriend. And Aero wanted that. He could settled for friends. But he didn't think he could move on from Peter even if he tried. How do you top _Peter Parker_? (Well, it probably wasn't difficult, but not in the way you think).

"I guess we're both idiots," Peter concluded.

"Oh, there was never any doubt about _that_," Aero teased.

Peter smiled at him, almost softly. Then he frowned, looking like he was trying to find the right words to whatever he wanted to say.

He didn't get to say it. The door slid open, and Martin Emerson stepped out into the night.

He looked okay. He was wearing black jeans and a black shirt with a graphic print of a shirt on it. His hair was fluffier than it usually was, and falling over his ears. He glanced between them, seeming to realize that he just stumbled into something private. But he didn't walk away.

"I've been looking for you," Martin said casually, looking at Aero. "I thought you disappeared." He tried for a smile. Aero forced one back. "Care to dance?"

"With _you_?" Aero blurted. He glanced at Peter, who's expression was unreadable. Was he jealous? Did he not care? Aero couldn't tell. He hoped it was the former, but he couldn't help but feel bad for how he had phrased his exclamation — _With _you_? _Oof, way to crush a guy's self-esteem. "I mean— Martin, we're not—"

"I know," Martin cut in, which annoyed Aero. "But I just thought it would be fun."

"You should go," Peter spoke up, surprising Aero. His heart sunk, just a little. "I mean, he's right. It'll be fun. And you should be having fun."

Aero stared at him, searching for any bit of hesitance. There was none. "O—okay," he muttered. "What about you?"

Peter shrugged. "I'll hang out with Ned."

Martin nodded in satisfaction. He grabbed Aero's hand, but Aero didn't feel the same butterflies that had appeared when Peter had done the same.

[ _but not yet! not now _]

Dancing wasn't fun.

Was it because he was with Martin? Or because he didn't like dancing in general? Aero couldn't tell. His feelings were all mixed up, scrambled together. He thought that, maybe, there was _something _with Peter, but if Peter was encouraging him to dance with someone else, then maybe Aero was just too lost in his own heart to realize that Peter obviously didn't like him romantically. And that made dancing difficult, because Martin kept trying to ask Aero questions and get him to socialize, but Aero just wasn't into it, and it was obvious.

"Why don't we take a break?" Martin asked, nodding to the kitchen, which was definitely his best idea of the night.

"Sure," Aero agreed, but he knew Martin couldn't hear him. They made their way to the kitchen, which was significantly less crowded. One glance at the clock said it was only 8:45, which means he had to wait another 45 minutes for Happy to pick him up. He wished Happy would pick him up sooner.

"You okay? You look sad," Martin noted.

Aero shrugged, looking at the array of sodas displayed on Flash's counter. He grabbed a Coke. "I'm fine. Just tired. I don't go to parties that often."

Martin hummed, taking a Sprite. He popped it open and leaned back against the counter. Aero watched him curiously. Martin glanced at him over the top of the can before lowering it. "What? Do I have something on my face?" he teased.

Aero scoffed and turned away, taking a sip of his soda. "I'm just wondering why you asked me to dance."

Martin shrugged. "You're cute. That's why."

Aero nodded, holding up his can to take another sip. Then he froze, his brain trying to process what Marin had just said. In those few moments, Martin had set his can down and taken a step closer. Aero put his soda down quickly and took a step back. "Sorry, what?" he asked, laughing nervously at the end. "I don't think I heard you."

"You're—cute," Martin said, slower this time. "I asked you to dance because you're cute. Heard me now?"

Aero frowned at him. "Martin, I— look, you're sweet, but—"

Martin rolled his eyes, taking another step forward. He leaned down quickly, and Aero had just enough time to push him away. "What are you _doing_?" he hissed quietly, looking around. No one seemed to notice them, thank God. "Are you out of your mind? Someone gets a picture of you kissing me, and—"

"And _what_m Aero? It's just a kiss. Let's go upstairs and—"

"You are out of your _goddamn _mind!" Aero snapped. "You can't just tell me I'm cute and then try to seduce me!"

"It's just a kiss!"

"This isn't about a kiss!"

"What, do you have a boyfriend?" Martin snapped. His expression darkened. "Is it Parker?"

"What? N—no! And it shouldn't matter if I have a boyfriend or not, you can't just _kiss _me!"

"Why _not_? You like me, I like you, just kiss me!" Martin hissed. Aero took a step back, glaring at him. "Why are you being so difficult?"

"_Difficult_? Asking for consent isn't _difficult_! And who said I even like you? I haven't liked you since you threatened to out me, you fucking degenerate!" Aero flipped him off before pushing past him and diving back into the crowd. He found his way outside, his phone in his hands, quickly typing an SOS text to Happy. He angrily wiped at his eyes, figuring he could just blame the tears on the cold.

What the fuck had just happened? Martin had tried to kiss him. _Martin_. Had tried to _kiss _him. Aero felt _wrong_. Martin had threatened to ruin Aero's entire life, and now he was suddenly crushing on Aero enough to kiss him? What the hell was _that_ about? Aero just wanted to go home and sleep. He never should have come to this party, he thought. Bad things always happened whenever he tried to have fun. And it _sucked_. It sucked a lot and he just felt like curling up under his stupid comforter and crying. And then sleeping. And then skipping school the next day to cry some more.

Someone caught his arm. Aero whipped around and held up his fist, but it was only Peter, who didn't look the least bit scared.

"Can you get a ride home?" Aero asked, lowering his first.

Peter frowned. "What?"

"Can—you—and—Ned—get—a—ride—home?" Aero asked, slower this time. Peter nodded. "Good. I'm going home."

"What, wait, why? What happened?"

"Ask Martin," Aero snapped. He knew it wasn't nice. There was no reason to be so angry with Peter when he hadn't even done anything. He was just trying to be nice, and Aero was acting like an asshole. But he couldn't help it. His emotions were riled up and his thought process was going in too many different directions to make sense.

"What did he do?" Peter asked, letting go of Aero's arm. "Did he _hurt_ you?"

Aero didn't know how to respond. He didn't want to somehow out Martin to Peter. It wasn't right. "Yes, but I can't— Peter, I just want to go home, I feel sick, just leave me _alone_, **_please_**," he begged. Peter closed his mouth, his eyes dark. He nodded and looked away, and Aero felt a lump form in his throat. "I'm—" There was a car honk from the side of the road. Aero glanced over and saw that Happy had arrived. "I'm sorry," he choked out, turning away and running to the car. He opened the door and climbed in, ignoring Happy's concerned look.

They pulled away from the sidewalk, and Aero was stuck watching Peter disappear back into Flash's house.


	9. CHAPTER SEVEN

Family meeting are the _worst_.

Most of the time, it meant that Aero was in trouble, but Aero never really worried about a punishment. His parents couldn't ban him from seeing his friends, because he didn't have any; they couldn't take away his phone and make him read a book, because he _liked _reading; they couldn't even force him to stay in his room all day, because he already did that without complaint. The worst they could do was scold him and tell him that they were disappointed.

But this time, Aero was going out of his mind.

What if someone had told them that Martin almost kissed him at the party? What if they thought Peter had done something, and now Aero wasn't allowed to hang out with him anymore? What if they thought Aero shouldn't be going to Midtown anymore, for some reason, and he couldn't fight against it? There were too many possibilities in his mind, going around and around. He sat down in front of them and tried to hide his growing fear, but he felt sick. He _had _for the last two days, which meant he'd missed school. And he still hadn't gotten in touch with Peter to assure him that he was okay.

He'd mostly just stayed in bed and pretended he had a fever.

"What's up?" he asked, trying to sound casual, but from Pepper's frown, he knew it wasn't working.

"We want to talk to you about the custody battle," she said curtly, almost like she was trying not to get emotional. Aero supposed he understood — this battle was more about him than it was about them. She was trying not to upset him. She probably wanted to complain about Maxine and curse her name, and Aero honestly wouldn't have blamed her. But he agreed that the more professional approach was making him feel better — at least she didn't mention Maxine's name.

"What about it? Is it going good? Does she have a good lawyer?" he asked quickly, surprised at how fast the question came to mind. He had assumed that he wasn't all that curious, knowing that his parents would win. But now it was occurring to him that being completely left in the dark wasn't doing him any good.

Pepper gave Tony a look, like she understood exactly what Aero was thinking — he needed the details, or he was going to start worrying. He sighed. "Kid, we, uh, we tried keeping you out of the case for as long as possible, but our lawyer suggested that letting you come to some of the meetings ... it would give us a strong advantage to have you know what's going on, and ... you need to testify. That's the easiest way for us to win. You need to tell the judge about your childhood."

Aero frowned, crossing his arms. "So, basically what I've said from day one," he summarized.

Tony smiled at him. "Exactly, kid."

"One month from now," Pepper added.

Aero nodded slowly. He could deal with this.

Except seeing Maxine again. He couldn't exactly deal with _that_.

The last time he'd seen his mom, physically, in the flesh, he was eight-years-old and being taken away by a social worker. He'd seen her face after that, too — he'd snuck into the living room when Pepper and Tony were talking, and he'd seen the news of her arrest — _Tony Stark's One Night Stand, Arrested. More at Ten! _When he'd gotten curious, as he got older, he Googled her name. There were hundreds of articles about her arrest, and a few interviews with her while she was in jail. _Is Aero actually Tony's son, or did you make that up? **Aero is Tony's bastard child, yeah, but Tony didn't raise him, and he's not going to do a good job of it now. Aero needs a mother. He needs ****me**__**. **_That had pretty much fucked him up for a good few years. But beyond black-and-white pictures, he hadn't _seen _her. And he had no interest in seeing her.

He wandered back to his room, alone. He closed the door and laid down, wanting to sleep. And when he couldn't take the silence, he texted Peter.

**Aero: **_hi_

He waited, but Peter didn't respond. Maybe he was busy. Maybe he didn't want to talk. Aero couldn't exactly blame him.

He exited the chat, then caught sight of a message directly below his conversation with Peter. The first few words were calling him in: _Aero, it's Mar... _Martin had texted him a day after the party, and Aero still hadn't read it. He'd considered deleting the message the moment it had appeared, but he couldn't. He was curious. And angry. And sad. And maybe he wanted to read Martin's apology, if that's what it even was.. But he didn't, because he still wasn't over it. Was he overreacting? Maybe Martin was right, and it was just a kiss. But that didn't mean Aero had to be comfortable with his ex-best-friend nearly kissing him after they went a few years without talking to each other. That wasn't fair.

His phone buzzed.

**Peter: **_hi. I'm sorry._  
**Aero: **_for what? you didn't do anything._  
**Peter**_: you'll see. talk Monday._

Not a single exclamation mark stared back at him.

[ _but here I am inside this place_ ]

Jeryn Hogarth was an interesting woman.

Upon entering the room, Aero immediately knew that she was a take-no-shit kind of person. She stood straight and had a firm handshake. Her short dark hair didn't cover the steel gaze she turned upon Aero when she saw him, and she had a very sarcastic sense of humor. Put it all together, and Aero knew they were going to get along. He knew her name from the newspapers — a woman whose life had crumbled around her when she tried tracking a villain meant for superheroes. He wondered how she'd convinced Pepper that she was the right woman to be helping, but he was glad she was chosen. She was hard to read and their humor was the same. A perfect fit. He had a feeling she knew what she was doing, and knew exactly how to win the custody battle.

Then there was Benjamin Donovan, Maxine's lawyer. He was here to get the facts from Aero, too, but was probably going to twist Aero's words to make Maxine look good. He was tall and funny and Aero didn't want to hate him, but he couldn't help it. He didnt' like people who were on Maxine's side.

Aero would be questioned by the two of them, separated from his parents, who would only be on the other side of the wall. Tony must have sensed the panic radiating from Aero, because he placed a hand on Aero's shoulder. Aero looked at him and was met with a quick smile that almost reassured him.

"We'll be outside. You've got this," Tony told him quietly, ruffling his hair. It was always the small moments that assured Aero that his dad was rooting for him, and, yeah, Aero _did _have this.

He sat across from Jeryn. She had her hands folded on top of the table, and her posture was perfectly straight. Aero kind of felt unprofessional — he slouched over and put his elbows of the table. But Donovan didn't sit straight — he slouched a little, like Aero, but he did have his hands neatly folded.

"Nice to finally meet you, Aero. I see your parents are following my advice." She smiled ruefully. "You can call me Jeri. And he goes by Ben." She pulled out a pen and a pad of legal paper, placing them in front of her. "I would record this conversation, but if someone were to get ahold of it and release, that wouldn't be good, because it could't be used as evidence. So you'll forgive me for being slow with my writing." Aero nodded. "What's your full name?"

"Aero Morgan Stark," he said. She wrote it down.

"Morgan? Why'd they name you that?" Donovan asked, but Aero knew it wasn't a question for the paper.

Aero shrugged. "Mom thought the name was nice. And it kind of fits the whole 'my name isn't normal' thing. Like, there are tons of John Smiths, but has there ever been an Aero Morgan Stark?" Donovan nodded, understanding. Aero caught the way Jeri rolled her eyes and tried not to grin.

"What something you remember about Maxine?" Donovan asked, holding up his own pen.

"She was always high." Aero dug deep into his memories. "She was always on one drug or another. And she had to be reminded to feed me, but never forgot to feed whatever man she had over for the night." He shrugged. "She didn't really feel like a mom. She wasn't there for me. She didn't parent me."

It was another thirty seconds before Jeri spoke again, letting Donovan finish writing what Aero had said down. "Did she ever hit you?"

Aero hesitated. "...Once. When the Child Protective Services came. She thought they had left. She'd gotten away. And she was angry they were called, so she hit me. And then, luckily, one of the guys came back in and saw her do it. If that hadn't happened, I wouldn't have gotten away."

Jeri nodded. "What was his name?"

"Ryan Hawkins. He's still based in New York, I think." That name had been put on an envelop every Christmas, when Tony sent a select few people and cheesy Christmas card — Happy, Rhodey, Fury, and Ryan Hawkins, who Tony had once said saved Aero's life. Aero didn't know if that was true, but he still agreed. Because if Ryan hadn't accidently left his pen behind, Aero would probably still be with Maxine, and Tony wouldn't know about him, and Aero would be a miserable kid. He probably wouldn't have met Peter Parker or Ned Leeds or Michelle Jones. And for all the bad they bring him, he wouldn't have met Bea Thomas or Martin Emerson. And even though they _suck _(though maybe Bea is coming around), Aero couldn't imagine a world without them.

The questions continued, getting harder to answer. What did he think of Maxine? Does he think that, if Tony had stepped in sooner, that Maxine could have been a goof mom? Would he be willing to split the time between between Maxine and Tony? Who would he rather live with? Does he think Maxine deserves a fair chance? Does he think Tony is a good dad (okay, so maybe some of these questions weren't so hard)?

Eventually, when the questions were starting to get repetitive, Donovan said his goodbyes and Jeri called Tony and Pepper into the room. It was time for everyone to be in the meeting.

As Jeri talked to his parents, Aero sat back, beginning to grow bored. He hadn't expected to be sidelined so soon, and he was honestly wishing he'd brought a book, or had just been let of the room by himself. Instead, he was stuck listening to Pepper and Jeri going over the notes, with Tony chiming in every now and then. Eventually, Aero took out his phone and held it under the table, like he would do if he was a regular high school student who didn't want to get caught on their phone in class.

He figured Peter was the best person to text, even if they _were _in a weird situation.

**Aero: **_this meeting is so boring._  
**Peter: **_? what meeting?_  
**Aero**_: we're with the lawyer and going over the case. im kinda being ignored so I'm bored lol_  
**Peter: **_maybe you should pay attention? what if you miss something important?_  
**Aero: **_im sure they'll tell me if something important was said?_  
**Peter: **_still. Please pay attention?_  
**Aero: **_ugh, fine. ill talk to you later_

Aero rolled his eyes and left their text message. After a moment, he clicked on Martin's. He knew it was a mistake. He knew Martin had fucked p for the second time, and Aero shouldn't have even given him a second chance in the first place. Hell, he should have realized that Martin was a bad person from the beggining, when their parents _forced _them to hang out because, otherwise, they would both be content not talking to each other. But Aero had gotten too attached, and Martin hadn't even wanted him around to begin with. Their friendship was a one-way street, and most of the time it seemed like nothing changed. Except now the roles were reversed — Martin was attached (allegedly), and Aero couldn't bring himself to care.

But he read the message anyway.

**Martin: **_Aero, it's Martin. I still have your number from a few years ago,  
but I'll delete it if you want me to. I just wanted to tell you that I'm sorry.  
You're right, I should have asked to kiss you, and it wasn't fair of me to  
expect you to have the same feelings as me. I want you to know that I'm  
sorry. I wanted a second chance, but I couldn't even go a week without  
hurting you again. You deserve a better friend, which is why I'm glad  
you met Parker, even if he is a little over protective of you. I'm hoping  
that we can still talk at school, just us. I want to apologize in person,  
but I know how you are with your boundaries. If you want to talk, I'll  
be in the band room in the morning. I'm sorry that you're angry with  
me. Call me?_

Aero studied the message, trying not to scoff. As far as apologies went, it was pretty tame. As far as _Martin's _apologies went ... well, Aero supposed it couldn't be better. Still, he couldn't help but roll his eyes. It was a sucky apology for something terrible. But, still, Aero was bored ... and maybe, just maybe, there was a chance that Martin meant it. Aero wouldn't start being buddy-buddy with him again, don't get him wrong, but he would entertain the idea of Martin being a genuine person for once.

**Aero: **_whatever._  
**Aero: **_anyway, im bored. custody meeting. say something funny._  
**Martin: **_uh_  
**Martin: **_what do penguins do to get better at something?_  
**Martin: **_they pract-ice_  
**Aero:** _that sucked._  
**Aero: **_but thanks_  
**Martin: **_is it really that bad?_

Aero looked up. Jeri was discussing the idea of joint custody with Pepper and Tony. No one was looking at him.

**Aero: **_yeah. no one is talking to me and im boreddddd_  
**Aero: **_and peter wants me to pay attention_  
**Martin: **_ha_  
**Martin: **_you're the worst at paying attention_  
**Martin: **_why don't we hang out after the meeting? we can go to central park?_  
**Aero:** _is this another plot to kiss me_  
**Aero: **_because im sorry Martin, but I can't date anyone right now_  
**Martin: **_it's not. i just want to be friends again. my feelings for you can wait :)_

Aero resisted the urge to sigh out loud. He didn't have feelings for Martin. He didn't think he ever would, again. Martin just ... wasn't his type. Sure, he was kinda cute, with dark hair and dark eyes, but he wasn't _fun_. He didn't enjoy Broadway musicals or Camp Camp episodes. He hadn't known who David Tennant was when Aero had first met him, and Aero doubted he'd watched _Good Omens_, or even read the book. And don't even get Aero started on their different tastes — Martin liked showing off. He liked wearing Gucci suits once and then hanging them up to gather dust; Aero would rather wear the same jacket until it was only threads than buy something for himself or, God forbid, make someone else buy it. He'd rather spend money on other people; Martin liked spending money on himself. Martin wore thousand dollar suits to high school parties, and Aero wore three different jackets.

They were completely different. They'd never work as friends.

And yet...

**Aero: **_you know what? sure. ill call you after we're done._  
**Martin: **_can't wait_

Aero wasn't really sure if he could say the same. Because case in point: before going to Central Park, as promised, Martin took Aero out for lunch.

Aero would have been fine with pizza. Or maybe something from a vendor on the street. He could barely stomach water after the meeting, much less a three-course meal at one of the most expensive restaurants in the city. Aero had made it very clear — Martin's choice, Martin's money. If they went to a pizza place downtown, Aero would pay. But if Martin wanted to eat crab and shrimp, _he_ would pay. Martin agreed, much Aero's disappointment. But maybe he could order a pizza at home...

They walked to Central Park, which was a surprise, as Aero thought Martin would have wanted someone to drive them. But at least they weren't cooped up the back of some limo together. Aero didn't even know how close he waited to _walk _next to Martin, much less try to explain why Martin had to sit on the other end of the limo or else he would get punched.

"It's nice out here," Martin commented. "I bet you don't get out here much, huh?" Aero gave him a pointed look. Martin held up his hands in defense. "I just mean that you have a lot going on. New school, custody battle ... you probably needed to get out of the house for something that wasn't school, y'know? Trust me, I know the feeling."

"Oh, you know the feeling?" Aero asked, a little too sharply.

Martin scoffed. "My parents got divorced last year. My mom got custody and most of the money. Dad disappeared two months later, probably to San Diego with his girlfriend, and Mom married her best friend, Jason. So, yeah, I understand how you're feeling."

Aero frowned at him. "I ... didn't know they got divorced. I'm sorry."

Martin shrugged. "I saw it coming. It's a relief, honestly. Dad wasn't the best, and Mom still gets paid well, so nothing much has changed." _That much is obvious_, Aero thought, though he had the decency to not voice his opinion, however true it was — Martin had never been subtle with his money. It was a surprise he was even going to Midtown when he could go to any school, anywhere. Hell, he could be in London right now, and his bank account would hardly blink. Still, Aero was surprised not to have heard of the Emersons' divorce — surely it would have been in the news, as they were a pretty well-known family?

Aero shook it off. Maybe they paid off the news. Maybe he just missed it. Who knows?

"Do you want to go down to the pond?" he asked, glancing up at Martin.

Martin wrinkled his nose. "God, no. Actually, I wanted to go to one of the Broadway shows." Aero's heart skipped a beat. Sure, he could totally go see a Broadway show himself, he had more than enough money to do so — but he'd never done it on a whim. And he'd rarely ever done it n the first place, since he would need an adult with him — his parents were mostly busy, and he never wanted to bother his uncles. He'd seen Hamilton and Dear Evan Hansen, and that had taken a lot of schedule clearing for his dad to do so. But ... he didn't need an adult right now. He could see whatever show he wanted to see ... except for the fact that he didn't have tickets.

"W-what show?" he asked, trying to stay calm despite the excitement he felt making it hard to breath.

"Uh, that one that you talked about at lunch on Friday ... what's it called? The one with the demigod?" Martin asked, snapping his fingers as if to make the thought appear out of thin air.

"Oh, my God, are you taking me to see _The Percy Jackson Musical_?" Aero whisper-yelled, eyes widening.

Martin nodded. "Yeah, that. The show's in an hour, but I figured—"

"An _hour_?" Aero gaped at him. "Come on! We can't be late!"

"We're not—"

But Aero pulled Martin out of the park and toward a taxi.

[ _suffocated by your face_ ]

"Holy shit! That was so awesome! Did you hear Chris McCarrell vocals? _OH_, and Jorrel Javier's performance as Grover? Unmatched! The effects, the _music _— KRISTIN STOKES SANG SO WELL!" Aero exclaimed, nearly shouting the last part. The sky was dark as he turned on his heels, walking backwards as he faced Martin, ranting about the show. "When Chris preformed Good Kid, and then later on James Rodriguez did an evil reprise of Good Kid? My heart, dude! They all sing so well, I _wish _I could hit those notes," he sighed, turning back around. Martin put a hand on his arm and guided him out of the way of a group of tourists. "I can't _believe _I got to see that in person! How long did it take you to get those tickets? They were _front row _tickets!"

Martin shrugged. "Jason's a director in the Broadway world. He got the tickets months ago and offered them to me. I completely forgot about them until you brought up the musical," he explained.

"Well, if you ever get offered tickets again and don't want them, I will _happily _take them off your hands," Aero told him, grinning. He felt like he was on Cloud Nine — he'd never expected to see one of his favorite musicals, and now that it had happened, he didn't know how to process it. "Thank you, Martin. That was a dream come true," he said honestly.

Martin averted his eyes. "Yeah. Well. That's what friends do. They do good things."

As they walked down the street, neither of them really having a destination, Aero gently nudged him. "Hey. You ... kind of were okay today, y'know? So I guess I'll allow you to say what's on your mind without getting offended," he offered, though he knew it was a pretty shitty deal. Even so, Martin didn't seem to mind.

"Were you really upset about me trying to kiss you?" he asked.

Aero frowned at him. He hated that question, but he supposed he wasn't allowed to be mad. "Yeah, I was. First, you didn't ask me if it was okay. Second, if anyone had seen it, boom, I'm out to the whole world. Third, it was just _weird_, dude. We barely started talking again, and then all of a sudden you have a crush on me and want to kiss me? It came out of nowhere."

Martin was quiet. Aero wasn't afraid he'd offended him — it wasn't fair for Martin to expect Aero to lie about how he felt. All Aero _did _was lie about how he felt — he lied to his parents, to Peter, to Happy and Rhodey ... he lied to everyone. And he was tired of it. So maybe his words had more venom than they should have — that didn't mean Martin didn't deserve to hear it. He wanted the truth, and he got the truth. His feelings weren't Aero's fault.

"Do you even like me?" Martin asked bitterly.

"As a friend," Aero stated. "Look, I appreciate what you did today. It was awesome. But there's a lot going on right now. And—" _And you aren't Peter Parker, _he finished, though he didn't get to say it out loud. A bright flash went off in front of him, and Aero turned, blinking the spots out of his eyes.

There were several men and women with camera gathered around them. They hadn't snuck up — Aero had just been too busy talking to Martin.

"Aero Stark! Over here!" a man yelled, taking his picture. "Can I have a statement about your mother, Maxine Adams? Do you think she'll win the case? Do you _hope _she'll win the case?"

"No, over here!" a woman shouted. "Why are you with Martin Emerson? Rumor is that you stopped being his friend years ago!"

"Tell us about the Avengers! What's the deal with the rift between Captain America and your father, Iron Man? Is it simply a difference in political opinion? And do you believe your father is on the right side?"

The voices started getting louder, everyone asking too many questions. Aero looked at Martin for support, but Martin had his phone to his ear, talking to someone in what sounded like a furious tone. He caught words like 'stop,' 'your fault,' and 'stupid.' It was clear that Martin wouldn't be helping him out of this situation. And it was also clear that everyone was more focused on Aero, which meant he didn't have to feel bad about diving into the crowd and leaving Martin behind.

Aero broke through the crowd and ran, hearing many of the people behind him start running after him. He ducked down and alley and didn't realize it was a dead end until it was too late to run back out. He swore, looking around for somewhere to hide, but there wasn't anywhere. Besides, they probably saw him duck in. If he hid behind a dumpster, he could only imagine the headline for tomorrow's news — _Iron Man's Son Caught Hanging Out in Trash! _Aero could make _so _many jokes out of that, but it would probably be used as evidence in court, no matter how much it didn't relate to the case.

"Come on, come on, any sort of miracle would be nice!" Aero called out, frustrated.

"Well, I'm not a miracle, but I can get you out of here," a voice said.

Aero whipped around and found himself face-to-face with someone in a red mask. He froze, his eyes widening just a bit. Spider-Man offered a hand to him, and Aero could almost imagine that he was smiling under his mask. "Going up?"

There were voices around the corner getting closer. Someone shouted, "He went in there!" and Aero didn't have to think twice before grabbing the offered hand, not believing that this was happening. He didn't even process the fact that Spider-Man had gotten them both on the roof of one of the surrounding buildings using only webs and his strength until he heard someone below them shout, "Where'd he go? Check the trash!"

"That was— you're— holy _shit,_" Aero said, only to be shushed in return.

"They might still hear you," Spider-Man — _Spider-Man! _— warned, leading Aero away from the edge. "Are you okay?"

"Why did you save me?" Aero asked, disregarding his question.

"You're M— Tony's son, right?" Spider-Man stammered. Aero frowned at him, wondering what he was about to say. "Call it returning a favor. And you seem nice. I figured it wouldn't be a bad idea to help you. The mask's eyes squinted at him. Aero nearly jumped back, but Spider-Man kept talking. "I recognized you with that guy, uh, that kid you were with."

"Martin," Aero supplied, then he wondered why he did so. "He's just a friend."

"O—oh, he's a friend?" Spider-Man asked. Aero squinted at him. His voice sounded ... strange. Like he was trying to make it deeper.

"Yeah. I guess. Not really. Anyway, thank you," Aero rushed out. "Seriously. I hate paparazzi. I guess you know the feeling."

Spider-Man shrugged. He looked around for a moment before his eyes settled on Aero again. "Do you have a ride home? I don't want to leave you out here alone again." _Again_? Aero thought, tilting his head.

He pushed the thought away. Probably just weird phrasing. "Yeah, I can call my uncle— Happy, my Uncle Happy. Do you know him?" he asked. He facepalmed. "Sorry, of course you don't, just because you helped my dad doesn't mean you know my uncle, sorry."

Spider-Man laughed. "No, I know him. I don't think his name matches his personality." Aero snorted, covering his mouth. "I'll let you call him and then I'll swing you down."

Aero nodded, taking out his phone. He dialed Happy's number, and his call was picked up after the second ring. "Kid! Where are you? You haven't called your mom to check in!" Happy said in greeting. Aero winced, swearing at himself for forgetting to check in with his mom.

"Sorry, sorry, Martin got me tickets to see the Percy Jackson Musical and you _know _how much I love Percy Jackson, so I just _had _to do." Aero shook his head. "Forget it. Anyway, the paparazzi surrounded us, but I got away and — wait for it — _Spider-Man _rescued me," he whispered, turning away. From the sound of said superhero laughing, Aero guessed that he wasn't that quiet. "But I kinda need a ride home, so can you please pick me up near the Longacre Theatre?" he asked pleadingly, but he knew that Happy was going to do it with or without the begging.

"Wha— Spider-Man?" Happy sputtered. "...Yeah. I'll be there in ten minutes. Stay out of sight and stay safe," he ordered before hanging out. Aero put his phone back and smiled sheepishly at Spider-Man, who was probably looking at Aero with amusement.

"He's on his way," he told the superhero.

It occurred to Aero that he wasn't having the most normal reaction to meeting — and being saved — by Spider-Man himself, who was on his list of Top 5 else would be freaking out, jumping around, and most likely shrieking at the top of their lungs; Aero was standing around normally, having a conversation, and only mildly freaking out. He supposed that having his dad be Iron Man and uncle be War Machine and his aunt be Black Window and— well, you get the point. He grew up with the Avengers and S.H.I.E.L.D. He was practically used to running into superheroes every Sunday. He didn't see why meeting Spider-Man should be in any different.

So he waited. And waited. And, eventually, he saw Happy's car driving on the back street of the theater. Aero pointed him out to Spider-Man, who, like, promised, swung them down to the road, landing a good few feet away from Happy, who slammed on the brakes. The lights were bright, but Aero could tell Happy probably looked angry at being snuck up on and concerned that Aero was with a superhero that wasn't Iron Man or War Machine.

Aero turned to face Spider-Man, who was squinting against the bright headlights. "Thanks for saving me, Spider-Boy," he teased.

"Wha— it's ... Spider ... Man..." Spider-Man trailed off, realizing Aero was joking. "No problem. Try to stay out of trouble, okay? Bye!" He turned around and began running. Then he threw his hands out and shot webs at the two closest buildings. He leapt into the air and disappeared around the corner of one building, leave Aero standing there, staring up at where he'd disappeared.

"Holy _shit_," he muttered, turning around and walking to the car. He opened the passenger door, staring at Happy, who raised an eyebrow. "Did that just happen? Did I just meet Spider-Man?"

"He's not that great, kid," Happy told him.

"Not that _great_? Happy, he's _Spider-Man_!"

[ _saying things that I don't deserve_ ]

"And _then _he swung off into the night!" Aero finished, making wild gestures with his hands. "He was _so cool_, Ned, you don't understand! I can't believe I met Spider-Man!"

Ned tilted his head, squinting at him, confused. "Isn't your dad literally Iron Man?"

Aero waved his hand. "Eh. Not as cool as Spider-Man." He grinned. "_Don't_ tell him I said that, he'll act _so _dramatic." Ned nodded seriously. Aero looked around as they approached Ned's locker, realizing that Peter wasn't waiting for them like Aero thought he had been. Peter still hadn't explained his cryptic text, and Aero had seen him at all that morning. It was strange. Normally, Peter would have met him outside, but this time it was Ned. And now Peter wasn't at the lockers. Where was he? Aero wanted to tell him about Spider-Man (and see him, of course, because he had some apologies to offer Peter)!

Then Aero spotted him over the crowd. Peter's head was down, but it was clearly Peter. He waved. "Peter!" he called.

Peter met his eyes — one of which looked weird — then ducked into Ms. Warren's class.

Aero felt his heart drop. He frowned, looking at Ned. "Is— is he avoiding me?" Aero asked, lowering his voice. Ned sighed, looking over his shoulder. He turned back to Aero with a sympathetic smile.

"Friday, at the party, after you left ... he got into a fight with Martin."

"_What_? Why?" Aero asked, surprised. Peter didn't seem like the type to pick fights.

"Because Martin hurt you. Peter felt like he had to protect you. Martin punched him, but Peter didn't hit him back. He just told Martin to apologize and fix things, or he'd regret it." Ned frowned. "I've ... never seen him so protective over someone. I think he likes you."

Aero choked. "_Likes _me?" he whispered.

"Yeah. You know, like he has to protect you. He must think you're a really good friend."

Aero frowned, nodding. "Yeah. Well. I think he's a good friend, too." _Damn it, Ned_, he thought, though he couldn't exactly expect Ned to just _know _that Aero liked Peter romantically and definitely wanted to hear that Peter liked him the same way, too. "I guess I'll wait with you, then. I don't want to corner him." Ned nodded. Aero sighed. "You know what, you've been really helpful and you're a good friend, too. Ask me any question about the Avengers. But only one," he warned.

Seeing Ned brighten was enough to make Aero feel better until lunch, where he caught Peter standing outside the cafeteria by himself, looking like he was having an inner argument about whether or not he should enter.

Seeing him up close, finally, Aero could see that Martin had _actually _hurt Peter. He hadn't held back — the skin around Peter's eye was a deep purple, but it seemed that Peter could open his eye without problem, thank God. And his lip, too, was hurt — the top part was an angry red, and it looked like it had been cut open. With a flash of anger, Aero remembered hat Martin had been wearing a ring the night of the party — a huge ring that probably cut Peter's lip open when he punched him. It was a miracle nothing in Peter's face was broken.

"You didn't fight back?" Aero asked him suddenly.

Peter jumped, turning to face him. "What?" he asked, then winced. Aero could only imagine the pain he felt when he moved his lip.

"Don't talk, you'll just hurt more," Aero ordered. Peter closed his mouth, nodding quickly. "I can't believe you got into a fight with Martin. I mean, he deserved it, but you shouldn't be getting hurt just because he ruined my night, Peter, _jeez_," he said, exasperated. He stepped closer, studying Peter's face. "I'll have Happy drop something off at your place, it's this ointment that my dad uses to heal quicker. Works like a charm, just make sure you're not allergic to anything on the label," he continued.

"No, no, you don't—" Peter grimaced, putting a hand over his lip.

Aero sighed. "Peter, please don't talk, you'll only be in pain," he scolded. Peter nodded, lowering his hand. "...Thank you, though. Ned told me that you told Martin to apologize. And he did. I just wish it didn't come at the expense of your health." Peter almost smiled, then seemed to think better of it. "Now _I _need to make him apologize to _you_. Come on."

"Woah, wait—!"

Aero pulled him into the cafeteria.

Ned waved them over from their normal table. Aero led Peter over sat down. Peter took the corner seat of the other bench, sitting beside Ned. Aero looked around and caught sight of Martin and Bea talking by the lunch line. Martin caught sight of him and nodded before turning back to Bea. Aero shook his head and moved his gaze back to Peter, deciding it would be best to wait for them to come back.

Peter frowned, turning his head slightly, almost like he was trying to listen to their conversation. "I don't like them. Martin and Bea," Peter announced.

"Me either," Ned chimed in.

"Same," Michelle said from the other end of the table, not looking up from her book. "Their planning something."

"I think you should stop hanging out with them," Peter added.

Aero frowned at them. Where was this energy when _he _didn't like Martin and Bea? Not that he did _now_, but it's not like they were the worst people in the world. And he didn't like how Ned and Peter — and maybe even Michelle — were looking to Aero like _he _was the leader, like _he _had the responsibility of getting rid of Martin and Bea. He hated being the leader.

"Okay. Ditto, then," he agreed, deciding that, if it came down to it, he'd rather be friends with Peter, Ned, and Michelle then with Martin and Bea.

"Aero, listen," Peter said seriously, leaning forward. "They aren't good people. I don't think you should hang out with them. They're ... they _might _be planning something bad," he said.

Aero nodded. "_Okay_, Peter. I get it. I won't trust them."

"Promise," Peter pleaded.

"I promise," Aero said.


	10. CHAPTER EIGHT

Two weeks passed by without incident, which is probably one of Aero's biggest accomplishments. That still didn't stop the weeks from being boring, though.

The media likes to hype up a lot of things, especially the lives of celebrities (not that Aero thinks he's a celeberty, but there wasn't really a way to describe himself)—they like to say that everyday is an adventure, or a scandal, or that both of Aero's parents are too busy to take care of their own kid. None of these are true—most days are boring, Aero hasn't caused a scandal (by himself, that is) since he was seven, and he was old enough to be taking care of himself (and his mom and dad were around a lot of the time during his childhood, so screw the media for spreading _those _rumors).

In truth, most days were...mundane. Aero went to school. He was rarely ever involved in drama, and most of the drama he _was _involved in came from Martin and Bea, not from his 'celeberty status.' He wasn't out late drinking and partying—he was up late texting Peter instead of, well, going to bed, like he should have been doing. He blamed it on them being nearly done with their project, which was due in two months, and not on his very-_not_-obvious crush on Peter.

Sometimes he was up late with his parents, discussing his testimony, which always left him with a bad feeling. It's not like Aero was stupid—he _knew_, of course, that his dad would win, especially if Aero told the court about his childhood. He supposed he was nervous about seeing Maxine more than he was about her being given custody. She had less than a 1% chance, and it seemed like even her lawyer knew that. Aero knew with absolute certainty that he was staying with Tony—so why did his stomach twist whenever he thought about the courtroom? Why did he feel sick whenever he thought about talking about his childhood?

But it didn't really matter _why_, really, he just wanted it to _stop_—and it did, sometimes, especially when Peter tried his best to distract Aero. They talked about everything from Star Wars (hey, Aero knows what Star Wars is now—him and Peter had marathoned all the movies last weekend!) to musicals (both eagerly waiting for the next Starkid show, or looking for time to see Be More Chill, since the drama club _really _wasn't going to cut it). And, for the most part, that took Aero's mind off of the upcoming court date. But he didn't totally forget it—it was always there, in the back of his head, waiting to give him anxiety whenever he was away from people for too long. He started spending more time with his family, just to forget about it, but most of the time they talked about the court case, which only amplified his anxiety.

It was difficult to think about. He didn't want to think at all.

Peter seemed to be the only one who understood that—he kept Aero's attention on him (not like it was that hard), he invited Aero to his house pretty much everyday (to hang out and watch more movies, Aero told himself), and he kept Aero away from Bea and Martin (who tried their damn best to talk with him, Aero will add, but Peter always ends up pulling him away).

And speaking of Bea and Martin—despite their best efforts, Peter kept Aero away from them everytime they tried to talk to him, without fail. It got a little annoying, Aero will admit—he felt suffocated and, frankly, babied. He hated being told not to do something—and even though he'd promised Peter not to _trust _Martin and Bea, did that mean Aero wasn't allowed to _talk_ to them? He didn't want to, but with the way Peter 'protected' him, Aero felt the strange need to defy (he thinks he got that from his dad—the need to go against what everyone else was saying, if only to prove himself).

Aero knew it was stupid. He knew that Peter was right, that he shouldn't have given Martin and Bea a chance at all. But, sometimes, whenever Peter wasn't there, Aero approached them. Or he texted Martin. Or he waved at them in the halls. He didn't trust them, he'd promised Peter that (and he wasn't an idiot), but he still acted ... approachable, he supposed, if that was the right word.

Like right now, when he and Peter were walking to science and they saw Martin and Bea in the hallway (arguing, Aero noted, though he didn't realize it until later).

Martin caught his eye. Aero held up his hand in a wave, then saw Peter frown at him. "What?"

"I thought you weren't hanging out with him anymore."

"I didn't say that," Aero corrected. "I said I wouldn't _trust _them, not that I ever did, anyway." He crossed his arms. "Besides, I was just being nice."

"They're _planning _something, Aero," Peter said as the two in question went back to arguing with each other.

"You keep saying that, Peter, but I still don't have a clue what you mean," Aero snapped. He bit the inside of his cheek, trying not to be too loud—or too mean, because while Peter sometimes acted annoying, Aero knew that Peter just wanted to protect him. He didn't know _why_—that reason was still unclear. But he supposed it didn't matter. It was a nice feeling, being protected by a cute boy. Sometimes it was just ... too much to handle. Too suffocating.

"They're just ... they want to hurt you. That's all I know," Peter said, quieter. He glanced at Martin and Bea. "We could get closer. Hear what they're saying, you know?"

Aero frowned at him. "That'll make me no better than Bea, right? Eavesdropping on them?" Overhead, the first bell rang. Aero pointed to the ceiling. "Besides, shouldn't we get to class?"

Peter hesitated. He turned his head to look at Martin and Bea and considered something before turning back to Aero. He subtly shook his head. "Cover for me, okay?"

Aero pursed his lips and nodded, heading inside. He couldn't help but feel irked by Peter's behavior, but it didn't matter—he would still cover for Peter, even if he was upset with him.

Most of the class was already in their seats when Aero walked inside. Curiously—or, thankfully—only less than half of them looked at him when he walked in. Mr. Cobbwell was the one who stared the longest, looking confused. Aero took his head, and Mr. Cobbwell glanced at the door, frowning, and Aero finally caught on to what was making him confused.

"Peter had to run outside," he said. "He needed to pick something up from his aunt."

Mr. Cobbwell nodded. "Ah, I see. He's just always with you, so I was confused," he said honestly. A few of the students snickered, and Aero's ears burned, but he smiled nonetheless, ducking his head. Mr. Cobbwell stood and addressed the class. "Alright, then. Once again, you have the full class period to work on your projects, but if you're already done, please let me know so I can give you a work sheet." Aero rolled his eyes—now everyone was going to pretend to be busy so they didn't have to actually work. Or maybe that was just Cobbwell's genius strategy, because now he wouldn't have to grade anything and could just relax with them.

Almost ten minutes passed before Peter came into the class. He eagerly greeted Mr. Cobbwell, laughing and cracking a science joke, before he approached Aero, his smile dropping. Aero knew that couldn't be a good sign.

"What did you find out?" he asked, almost too tensely.

Peter looked around. Aero noted that Marin and Bea still weren't in the room. "Like I said, they're planning ... something. But I can't tell you what."

"Can't or don't want to?" Aero snapped.

Peter sat down. "_Can't_, Aero. I don't even think I should've listened. I don't even know if they're telling the truth."

Aero rolled his eyes. "Right, exactly like I said."

Peter sighed. "Just ... stay away from Martin, okay? Don't accept an offer to hang out. Don't be alone with him. _Please_, Aero," Peter begged, lowering his voice.

Aero stared at him, stunned. He'd never heard Peter sound so upset before. "Then tell me _why_. Just give me _one _reason, _any _reason," he pleaded. Peter shook his head, looking lost. "Than I can't make a promise, Peter. I won't actively try to hang out with either of them, but until you can tell me what they're planning, I'm not going to shun them."

Peter looked frustrated. He looked like he wanted to protest. But he kept silent, and Aero turned away, and they stayed like that for the rest of the class period.

They walked to band together. It was hard not to when they were headed the same way, but Aero would like to think it would happen anyway, even though they were kind of ignoring each other. They didn't talk, but Peter held the doors open. They didn't look at each other, but they walked beside each other and neither of them went ahead of the other. It was a weird sort of limbo that Aero didn't want to be in, but one that he accepted, as it was probably better than _completely_ ignoring each other in favor of their petty feelings.

It didn't help when Martin tried to talk to him, though.

"Aero!" Martin ... cheered? He was just loud enough to catch the attention of several students, but Aero simply held up his hand in a wave, glancing at Peter, who scowled at Martin (and he even managed to look cute while doing _that_, damn him).

Aero was struck with an idea. A stupidly petty idea that was going to end so, _so _badly, but an idea nonetheless.

"_Hey_, Martin!" Aero said, almost _too _cheerily. He didn't look at Peter, but, out of the corner of his eye, he could tell Peter had suddenly tensed, and he could almost imagine that Peter was looking at him with a _What the hell are you doing?! _look.

Aero acted like he didn't care (and, like, maybe he didn't, except he totally did) as he walked over to Martin, who looked a little surprised by how 'happy' Aero was to see him. But he quickly grinned, and his eyes darted over to Peter (Aero felt a flash of irritation. This wasn't supposed to be benefiting Martin—it was supposed to benefit _Aero_). Aero followed his gaze and saw that Peter was still standing by the door, looking lost and ... angry. It was concealed well, but Aero could still see it—the way he clenched his jaw and looked away from them was all the confirmation Aero needed to know that Peter was angry.

Good. Let him feel what Aero feels.

Some part of Aero knew this was wrong—he should respect Peter's wishes and stay away from Martin. But he also needed a reason to do it, and until Peter wanted to tell him _exactly _what Martin and Bea are planning, Aero figured he could play a game (besides, it hardly meant anything ... he hoped).

"You know, I've been having some difficulty with one of the pieces we're working on—for the musical, for the drama club?" Aero said slyly, turning back to Martin. "Can you show me how to play it?"

Martin peered at him suspiciously, apparently catching on to Aero's game. Strangely, he didn't look insulted—in fact, he seemed like he was going to help.

"Sure," Martin agreed, moving over so Aero could have space to work. "Which piece?"

"I think it's ... More than Survive Reprise?" he guessed, trying to pick a random song that was shorter than the rest. "Just the beginning part, when Jeremy's singing."

Martin nodded, motioning for Aero to put his hands on the keys. Then he put his hands over Aero's, slowly—intentionally slowly, Aero knew—going over each note. Aero had to remind himself not to launch into playing the whole song from memory—it was a little difficult, to be honest, since Be More Chill was one of his favorite musicals, and he _definitely _knew how to play More than Survive (Reprise). He was just thankful he'd chosen a shorter song, as Martin's 'teaching' was over in no time.

"See, you have it down," Martin encouraged as Aero played the beginning of it by himself. "Don't you think so, _Parker_?"

Aero winced. He glanced up at saw that Peter had joined them near the piano. He didn't look at them, but Aero could see that he was upset, and felt bad, now. Like, _I-fucked-up-didn't-I? _type of bad. Enough that he _really _wanted to apologize, and that was pretty rare.

"Yeah, he's great," Peter said, almost just as sarcastically. Aero would have felt hurt if he didn't feel he deserved that. But then Peter looked at Martin. "Maybe if you were actually his friend, you'd know that he's amazing on _every _instrument."

Martin narrowed his eyes. "What's _that _supposed to mean?" he sneered. "If _you _were his friend, you wouldn't be trying to keep him to yourself."

"Guys—" Aero began, sensing the growing tension.

"Maybe I wouldn't have to keep him away from you if you were a good person, but you're _not_."

"Maybe you shouldn't try to _protect_ someone who doesn't _need_ to protected," Martin hissed.

"Well maybe _you _should—"

"_Boys_," Aero cut in, exasperated. "As fun as this is, and I'm sure it could go on forever, can we _please _focus on the work?"

"On the _work_?" Peter snapped, voice low, making Aero flinch. "_Now _you want to focus on the work?"

"Peter," Aero said, warning in his voice. He glanced at Martin, who looked smug. Aero sighed and took Peter's arm, pulling him toward the door. Without even asking, not that he would be stopped anyway, Aero walked outside the classroom and continued down the hall until they'd reached the entrance. He considered going outside, but decided not to, stopping to look at Peter, who didn't meet his eyes.

"What was that about?" he asked, trying to keep his voice gentle. "I've never seen you like that before." _It was hot, _Aero's brain helpfully supplied.

"I just— I want to protect you Aero, he said that, and it's true," Peter said, making Aero's heart turn into butterflies. "But you're making it _so hard_. Why did you even do that? To make me jealous? Angry?"Aero stayed quiet. Peter had guessed right on the first try, but Aero hadn't considered that Peter would be angry, too. "I can't stop you from talking with him, and you can do whatever you want, just don't do it in front of _me_ when you know I'll be upset."

Aero nodded slowly. "I'm ... sorry. I didn't even consider that." He sighed. "I didn't want to make you angry, but I'm sorry I did. It wasn't right." Peter nodded. "Can I do something to make it up to you?"

Peter shook his head, looking relived. "I just wanted you to apologize."

"Seriously, I can take you out to lunch or something. Anything you want."

Peter laughed. "I'm _fine_, A, I promise." Aero didn't know why the nickname sent his heart into overdrive, but he wasn't exactly complaining. "We can just marathon the Harry Potter series this weekend. Deal?"

Aero grinned at him. "Deal."

Sometimes this friendship thing wasn't so terrible.

[ _don't make me be the bad guy _]

Sometimes the media was right about celebrity life—they say that superstars will eat expensive dinners whenever something bad was happening, or whenever they wanted to celebrate the little things. For Aero, a Friday night dinner with his parents happened to be the former. In just two more weeks, he'd be in the courtroom, testifying against Maxine. And to make up for that, his parents had taken him out to one of his favorite places—Soup Plantation, which, surprise, served more than just soup. They'd scored an out-of-the-way table, at the request of Pepper, which Aero was thankful for—he didn't want the conversation to keep being interrupted by his dad's fans.

Not that the conversation was doing him any good, but he still liked talking with his parents.

"Don't look at her when you're up there, okay?" his mom said, pointing her fork at him. Aero tried to smile. "She's going to taunt you and try to intimidate you. Keep your eyes on Tony or me or on someone you can trust. Don't even give her the time of day."

"Easy," Aero said, though the way his stomach turned told him it was going to be anything but.

"After we win, we'll take you and Peter out for milkshakes," his dad added.

Aero sat up straighter. "Peter's going to be there?"

Pepper elbowed Tony. "Way to ruin the surprise."

Tony held up his hands in defense. "Hey, you know he doesn't like surprises."

Aero rolled his eyes. "I'm sitting right here," he complained, though his brain was still stuck on the fact that Peter was going to be in the courtroom. It didn't bother him—actually, it kind of made him feel better, knowing that Peter was going to be there. Rooting for Aero. Wearing a suit...

_Okay, brain, **thank you **for the visual, but now is not the time_, Aero scolded, shaking his head. He tuned back into the conversation, realizing that it had continued on without him.

"Who's going to be attending on our side?" he asked once there was a lull in their conversation.

Pepper thought for a moment. "Happy and James, obviously. Hm. Peter and May, too. But other than that ... I don't think we should count the media," she joked.

Aero frowned. "Right. Uh, Aunt Nat isn't coming, huh?"

Tony and Pepper shared a look. "Uh, listen, Aero, she wants to, trust me. But you know she can't."

"Because she's a war criminal," Aero said bluntly.

He didn't mean to sound like a brat. And he also didn't mean to be so hypocritical—while he no longer liked Steve or Clint, he still considered Natasha family. He _wanted _her there, but he knew she would be arrested on the stop ... and she'd totally get out of it, easy, but he didn't want to inconvenience her. She still sent letters sometimes, anyway—she would tell him that she was rooting for him. He knew he shouldn't have been so upset. But he still wished there was a way to see her in person.

Tony sighed. "Yeah. That."

They all went quiet, eating their food. Aero wished he'd thought to invite Peter, but he reminded himself that Peter was busy with homework. Maybe he should have invited Ned or MJ. Fuck, even _Martin's_ company would be preferred to this awkward silence that Aero had caused (but that he wouldn't take back, because they had to talk about Aunt Nat at _some _point...).

Eventually, Tony spoke up. "Who wants dessert?"

Aero laughed. They finished their dinner and headed out (after paying the bill and tipping the waiter, of course, they aren't _that _famous). Getting home was easy, and getting to bed was even easier. Aero felt like he'd had the longest day ever, and it wasn't even a _bad _day. Yeah, he'd argued with Peter, but they'd made up within the hour. He'd brought up Aunt Nat, but everyone was back to laughing within five minutes. Still, it felt like the day had been _way _longer than 24 hours. Maybe because his body was telling him that he still had a long day ahead of him, even though he was already in bed.

Aero woke up in a panic.

It felt like someone had wrapped their arms around his chest and was constricting him slowly, or like they were slowly putting rocks on top of him, making it hard to breath. It took him a second to realize he was having a panic attack, and an even longer moment to grab his phone.

Things seem to go by in slow motion. He doesn't know how he ended up on the floor, back against his bed frame, but he did. He had his phone pressed to his ear, having dialed someone's number. but he could barely hear the ringing over the sound of his own labored breathing—and it almost echoed, like he wasn't fully there.

Someone picked up the phone. For a few seconds, Aero just sat there, breathing heavily, but eventually his ears focused on someone talking to him, worriedly asking him what was wrong and where Aero was at that moment. His brain took a second to connect the voice to a face—Peter. He'd accidently called Peter.

"Aero— Aero, I need you to tell me where are you and if you're hurt!" Aero tried to catch his breath. "I'm calling Mr. Stark!"

"_**No**_," Aero forced out. Peter went quiet. "Please don't call him, I'm— I'm okay— no, sorry, I meant to— I don't know who I meant to call but I didn't mean to wake you up, I'm sorry," Aero rushed out, feeling tears gather in his eyes, both because he was short of breath and because he was embarrassed. His finger hovered over the 'End Call' button.

"What? No, I was already awake. Aero, stay on the phone," Peter said, though how he knew that Aero was about to hang out, Aero didn't know. "Talk to me. What's going on?"

Aero couldn't find the right sentence, but he managed to stammer, "Panic. Court." Thankfully, Peter seemed to catch onto what he was trying to say.

Right, he remembered now. He'd been having a dream—a dream where Maxine won the case. Aero was forced to go with her, even though he fought tooth and nail to get back to his parents. But his parents weren't even trying to get him back—they just walked out of the room and let Maxine take him, like he didn't _matter_. And Peter and Ned had only looked at him, neither of them looking worried or ... well, they didn't have expressions. It's like they didn't even know him. They didn't care that he was forced to go back with Maxine. They didn't even know who Aero Stark was.

No one knew who Aero was.

Peter took a deep breath. "Okay. Focus on my voice. I need you to follow my instructions, okay?" Aero nodded, not thinking of the fact that Peter couldn't see him. "Listen. Name five things you can see. Can you do that for me?" Aero's eyes flickered around his room, taking it all in. There was moonlight creeping into his room. "Aero. Five things you can see."

Aero swallowed. "Uh. Closet. Floor. Guitar. Uh, um— door. Desk!"

"Four things you can touch."

Aero nodded. "Carpet. Bed frame. Phone. Uh, clothes."

"Three things you can smell."

Aero took a deep breath, silently thanking his mom for coming into his room with an air freshener yesterday. "Pinewood. Uh, soap, I guess. Hand sanitizer!" he added, catching a whiff of his hands.

"Two things you can taste."

Aero wrinkled his nose. "Uh, peppermint toothpaste and bubblegum mouthwash."

Peter chuckled. "Nice." Aero smiled, leaning his back against the end of his bed frame. "You still with me?" Aero hummed. "Okay. One thing you can hear."

Aero sighed, then took a deep breath, finding that he could do so without feeling the need to push it back out.

"You. I can hear _you_."


	11. CHAPTER NINE

Aero has had some stressful moments in his life.

Clearly. He's the son of Iron Man. What kid—or, hey, person—_wouldn't _be stressed out about that? It's not enough that his dad is a famous billionaire—no, his dad either has to go missing or nearly die every few years, because that's just what he _does. _And let's not forget Aero's childhood, which, honestly, was more stressful than the idea of coming out to his parents. If Aero could choose to never do something again, it would be reliving his childhood. It was filled with responsibility, embarrassment, pain, and terror (and some of that includes his childhood with Tony, because he shouldn't have had to experience his dad going missing at eight-years-old, by the way).

Being so close to the courtroom made him relive all those feelings.

He was in the backseat of a car again, with Happy at the wheel. Aero had been allowed to sleep in while his parents had left bright and early, several hours before the case was even brought to the court. Aero couldn't even put in his headphones and try to block out the sound of his own heartbeat—he was too busy shifting in his seat, pulling at the collar of his shirt while butterflies turned his stomach into knots. He hadn't eaten breakfast, too afraid he would puke. Overall, not a very good morning—and he didn't see it getting any better, even with the promise of seeing Peter there.

He sighed, leaning back against the seat of the car. He wished he could call Peter, but he didn't want to bother him, and he knew Peter would only ask questions about why Aero sounded so upset—because Aero had no doubt that if he opened his mouth, he'd start crying. The lump in his throat had formed earlier that morning, and had yet to go away. If Peter started asking questions, Aero was going to start having a mental breakdown, and it wouldn't be good to show up to the courtroom in hysterics.

Happy turned to look at him when they came to a stoplight. Just around the corner, Aero's life was about to be up for grabs. "You okay?"

"Happy, you're one of my favorite people in the world, but do I _look _okay?" Aero asked, keep his voice low so he wouldn't start crying. Happy frowned. "I'll be fine. I just ... want this to be over."

Happy sighed, turning back around as the light turned green. "Yeah, kid. Me, too."

They turned the corner, and the courthouse came into view.

Aero's stomach twisted. It was large and foreboding, towering over him. Of course, _every _building toward over him, but this one felt more ... wrong. Like he shouldn't be there.

"I'm going to let you off in the front. Why don't you go inside while I find parking?" Happy offered. Aero nodded, numbly unbuckling his seat belt. He muttered a quick, "See you soon," before closing the car door. His suit didn't have pockets, so there was nowhere to put his hands. He was surprised that there were no paparazzi around, but Aero didn't want to risk them ambushing him, so he hurried toward the courthouse and stepped inside, finding that it was far warmer inside than outside in the city.

Tony and Pepper were close by, talking with Jeri. He walked toward them and quickly attached himself to his dad's side, like he was suddenly seven-years-old again. Tony put a hand on his shoulder in acknowledgment, but kept the conversation flowing with Jeri, which Aero was fine with. He didn't want to talk.

He looked around, wondering where everyone else was. Rhodey, Happy, Peter, and May, anyway. If his parents invited anyone else, he didn't know. And he had no doubt that Nat wasn't going to show, either, so it was just those four he was looking for. Yet, he couldn't find them, and it made him frown. At least he knew Happy was on his way.

Aero turned his attention to the courtroom doors they were standing outside of. He felt panic crawling into his throat, making it difficult to breath. God, he didn't want to worry his parents, but right now he was about to have a panic attack, and if he didn't get out of the building, he feared he would _really _start worrying them. He moved away from his dad and headed toward the entrance—and exit, and he would have made it all the way if he wasn't stopped by Pepper grabbing his arm as gently as she could.

"Aero, where are you going?" she asked quietly.

"I need air. I need to go outside," he said, just as soft.

She frowned. "Aero, I don' think—"

"No, Mom, I can't! She's— she's _in there_! I can't— give me a minute!" he pleaded, pulling away from her. He didn't wait for an answer as he ran outside, pulling at the collar of his shirt even harder, not even afraid of it ripping. He didn't care about nice things, anyway—he just needed to breath.

At the staircase, he stumbled and decided to sit down, moving out of the way of people walking inside. He collapsed at the end of the top stair, leaning his head against a rectangular concrete planter. He pulled his knees up to his chest, taking slow breaths, trying to repeat the exercise Peter had taught him. Then he tried thinking of Peter, because that always seemed to calm him down if he got too panicked. It worked, but only for a moment, because as soon as Aero felt calm again, he thought of Maxine and all those feelings of panic came crashing down again.

He felt someone elbow him and turned to face Peter, who frowned, trying to get comfortable. "Sorry, I was just trying to get comfortable. May just went inside but I saw you over here so I wanted to make sure you— you were okay," Peter said, turning to face him and just seeming to realize that, in fact, Aero was not okay. Aero wasn't sure what gave it away—the fact that he was sitting outside instead of being inside, or his panicked breathing. "Are you having a panic attack?" Peter asked, lowering his voice. He didn't sound accusing—he was concerned. Of course he was—he was a good person.

"Keep talking," Aero told him, finding that, when Peter was describing why he'd come over, Aero's breathing had lost its fast pace.

Peter seemed to understand. "So, this morning I found this suit in the back of my closet. It was from homecoming, and it reminded me that I didn't know how to tie a tie, and then I wondered if _you _knew how to do it, but considering how many times you've probably had to wear a suit, I assumed you did. I'd forgotten, though, because I only did it once, so May and I had to watch a video _again _on how to do it and I _still _haven't gotten the hang of it," Peter complained. Then, as if to demonstrate his point, he pulled his tie over his head and undid it, then froze. "I ... I wanted to show you that I didn't know how to do it, and now—"

Aero laughed. "Oh, my God, Peter," he scolded, taking the tie from him. He undid it the rest of the way, then put it back over Peter's head, moving closer. "Watch." He began tying the tie slowly so Peter could understand it. He expertly folded the tie from muscle memory, finding that the simple action made it easier to thing. But when Aero looked up, he realized that Peter's eyes were on him, and he turned away, letting the tie drop down, now finished. "See? I can show you again later, if you need me to," he offered.

"...Yeah. I don't think I got it," Peter said softly. Aero looked at him, suddenly seeing how close they were. "..Aero, you should know something," Peter said quickly. Aero frowned. "And I shouldn't be telling you this now, because it's not the time, but if I don't tell you now, you might find out later, and then you'll be madder than you would be if I told you now." He took a deep breath. "I—"

A woman stopped Peter short. She moved toward them briskly, her head low and her hair tucked into a large hat over her face. She stopped just in front of them, as if waiting for them to move, but when Aero looked up, annoyed, he caught sight her face. She looked paler than he'd last seen her, and she'd dyed her hair blonde and cut it short, but there was no mistaking that face—he's stared at a picture of it just the morning, when he'd wished she would show up, even though it would have put them both in danger.

"Aunt Nat!" he shouted, then quickly lowered his voice, looking around. He jumped to his feet, wrapping his arms around her. "What are you _doing_ here? What if you get caught?"

She smiled thinly. "Do you think I would?" Aero smiled, shaking his head. "Tony contacted me. He said you wanted to see me."

"I ... I didn't want you to put yourself in danger, but, yeah, I wanted to see you." He glanced at the building, frowning. "You probably heard what's been going on."

She rolled her eyes. "Yeah. And I know that she's not going to win." Aero nodded, feeling more assured. "And if she does, well..."

Aero grinned. "My aunt's a trained assassin?"

She nodded quickly. "Yeah, that." Her eyes went to Peter, who was looking between the two of them, eyes a little wide. "Friend of yours?"

Aero smiled. "Yeah. This is Peter." He held out his hands to Peter and pulled him up. "Peter, this is my Aunt Natasha. Or—"

"Black Widow!" Peter blurted. He smiled sheepishly. "Sorry. Big fan."

Nat shook her head. "It's fine." She put a hand on Aero's shoulder. "You've got to be strong during this, okay? Don't give her the satisfaction of seeing you scared." Aero nodded. "And tell me how it goes. I have to go, but I'm rooting for you. _Everyone _is rooting for you," she said, and he knew she was referring to Steve, Clint, Wanda, Sam, and anyone else on Team Cap. And while their support meant something to Aero, it didn't come close to the support from Nat. "I'll see you soon, Aero."

Aero smiled sadly, giving her another quick hug. She walked back the way she'd came before getting into a black car with tinted windows. Aero had just enough time to see a man with long dark hair close the door before that was the last he saw of his aunt. He shook his head, taking a deep breath.

She was right. He could do this.

Peter smiled at him. "Ready?"

Aero nodded. "Ready."

[ _i guess it's motherly love_ ]

He was not ready.

It didn't matter how many pep talks were given, or how many hugs he received. Walking into the courtroom and making direct eye contact with Maxine sent Aero's heart plummeting into his stomach. He froze, taking a shuddering breath, and felt his dad's hand on his back, comforting and also pushing him forward. Aero turned his gaze from Maxine to Pepper, who smiled at him reassuringly—it didn't hide the tense posture of her's, but it did help make Aero feel better, and that's what mattered.

"You've got this, kiddo," Tony said quietly, leading Aero to one of the long, cushioned benches on the left. They took the front row, Tony and Pepper seat taking a side of his. On the other side of the room were a lot of men and woman with camera. They began taking pictures and filming, but none of them clamored for their attention. One good thing about the courtroom—if the the reporters made too much noise, they'd be kicked out.

Aero let his eyes wander.

Maxine looked older. She looked ... more grim. Her hair was graying at the roots, and her skin was more sunken and pale. She laughed at something her lawyer said, and Aero could almost imagine how many cigarettes she smoked in prison, just based off her yellowing teeth. Her clothes were torn, not at all appropriate for a courtroom. It almost made Aero feel ... sad.

Aero would have hoped that prison would have changed her. Made her a better person. But it seems she only got worse. And ... no, he wasn't sad at all. He was _angry_.

If Maxine wanted to fight for him, she should have made an effort to look presentable. She should have changed. She should have done a lot of things, and maybe Aero still would hate her, but at least he would recognize the effort. Now, all he saw was a sad woman, and he had no doubt that Tony was going to win. Because his dad changed for the better when Aero entered his life. Tony Stark became a superhero. Maxine Adams became pathetic.

Aero turned in his seat, facing Peter. Somehow, during entering, Rhodey and Happy had shown up. Happy and May were talking to each other, and Aero's dad and turned to talk with Rhodey. Peter smiled at Aero, nodding to him. "After this, we can, I don't know, uh—"

"Marathon Supernatural?" Aero suggested.

Peter smiled, leaning forward. "And we can eat popcorn until we get sick."

"And ... talk," Aero suggested, almost too quietly.

Peter nodded. "We can talk."

"All rise," someone announced. Aero turned around and got to his feet as the judge entered the room. He was a short man with white hair, but he seemed a little energetic, like he was a naturally happy person. "Judge Spencer presiding. Please be seated." Aero took his seat. On his left, his mom clasped his hand in her own, keeping her eyes trained forward. Aero took a deep breath.

Judge Watson faced the room. "Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Calling the case of Miss Maxine Adams versus Mr. Tony Stark in the custody battle for Aero Stark. Are both sides ready?"

Aero tuned out for most of the beginning. He knew it must have been important, but he didn't understand most of what they were saying, anyway. He focused on a random part of the room and zoned out, trying to clear his mind as he thought over his testimony. He didn't know what questions he was going to be asked, but he would know how to answer them. His testimony would ensure that he would be allowed to stay with Tony, he reminded himself. Maxine stood no chance.

His dad nudged him back to reality. "Kiddo," he muttered.

Jeri was at her feet. "Aero Stark has agreed to testify," she announced. "I'd like to call him to the stand."

From beside Ben, her lawyer, Maxine muttered something under her breath. Ben shrugged, not looking bothered. Aero got to his feet, a little shaky. He stepped into the other side of the courtroom, where the witness stand was. When he passed by, he glanced at Maxine, but Ben caught his eye; he gave him a quick flash of a smile, and suddenly Aero understood. Ben didn't want Maxine to win either. He wasn't sure that was totally legal, but Aero had a feeling Ben was never concerned with the technicalities of 'legal.'

Aero got to the stand. A woman was waiting for him. She smiled reassuringly. "Raise your right hand. Do you promise that the testimony you shall give in the case before this court shall be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?"

"I do," Aero promised, though he wasn't exactly the biggest believer in God.

"Please state your first and last name."

"Aero Stark."

"You may be seated."

Aero took a seat, taking a deep breath. Jeri got to her feet, nodding to Aero. He straightened his posture, nodding back.

"Aero," she began, "what can you remember about your mother?"

Aero took a deep breath. _Just like you said, remember? _he told himself. "She was ... always on some sort of drug, and she couldn't keep a job. I had to find ways to pay the rent when I was seven or six, I forget." Murmurs broke out in the court—his parents looked stricken, because Aero had never told them that. "Sometimes we were so broke that she couldn't feed me, but she could feed herself or whichever boyfriend she had over." He took another breath, looking out into the sea of faces. Peter caught his eye. He gave Aero a wobbly smile. "She ... wasn't a mom, not really. She didn't parent me. I don't think she ever sent me to school."

"You don't think?" Jeri asked.

"I was six," he told her. She nodded.

"Did she ever hit you?"

Aero hesitated. "...Yes."

Maxine jumped out of her seat. Ben grabbed her arm, pulling her back down, but Aero had already shrunk back, his breath catching in his throat. Judge Watson eyed him, then nodded to himself, motioning for Jeri to continue.

"Would you like to take a break?" He shook his head. "You have to give verbal answers, Aero."

"No. I'm fine," Aero said. "Please continue."

"...If given the choice, would you split custody with Miss Adams and Mr. Stark, or would you rather full custody be given to one of them?"

"Full custody given to my father," he said immediately. "Ever since I met him, my life has gotten better. I'm not forced to grow up too fast and I'm not scared that I'll be forgotten." He swallowed. "If I have to go back with Maxine, I don't think I would be able to live."

"Because she would forget you," Jeri said.

"Because I would rather kill myself," Aero countered. He didn't look at his family when he said it. He didn't want to see their reactions, their pain at this statement. Because they would be devastated, and Aero didn't want to see that. He was sure that he already caused enough problems. He didn't want to cause any more.

Jeri nodded. She smiled, just a little, letting Aero know that he did well. "Thank you for your statement, Aero. You may return to your seat."

Aero stood up shakily, heading back to the benches. He sat down between his mom and dad, who both grabbed one of his hands reassuringly. Aero didn't look at either of them, knowing that his words had hurt them both. But he wouldn't take it back. They deserved to know the truth, and Aero would do anything if it meant never being near Maxine again—even if it cost him everything.

Ben stood up. "I'd like to call my client and Mr. Stark to the stand."

Tony muttered something under his breath, standing up. Aero glanced up at him, sitting up straighter as his dad walked by. He hadn't known that Tony was going to be questioned, but he supposed it made sense—they would want a sense of what Aero's home would look like if he stayed with Tony or went back with Maxine, or split the time between both of them. And even though Aero knew there wasn't a large risk in the questioning, he still couldn't help but feel nervous and sick.

Without thinking, he turned to face Peter and motioned for the other to sit next to him. Peter looked around for a moment, making sure eyes weren't on him, before easily and silently leaping over the bench to sit next to Aero. Behind them, May made a quiet noise of surprise, but Aero didn't care—he grabbed Peter's hand and instantly felt his nerves disappear. Peter didn't seem to mind, so Aero held his hand, and it kind of felt ... right. Like this was a normal thing.

_It could be_, his heart told him.

_Hey, asshole, focus on the courtroom, not on your feelings, _his brain shot back. Aero sighed, turning his focus back to reality.

"I only have a few questions for both of you," Ben said. "If you could both state your full names?"

"Maxine Samantha Adams."

"Anthony Edward Stark."

"Thank you." He crossed his arms behind his back. "Miss Adams, should Aero go with you, what would the living situation be like?"

"He'd sleep on the pullout coach," Maxine said easily. Aero scoffed.

"How would he get to school?"

"He'd walk."

"What school would he go to?"

She rolled her eyes. "I guess I'll keep him enrolled in whatever school Stark has him in."

"Are you aware that the school by the name Midtown High School is over ten miles from your current apartment?" She shrugged. "You would have Aero would twenty miles for five days a week?" She nodded. Peter muttered something under his breath. "Okay. Given your current job, how do you plan to care for Aero?"

She was quiet for a moment. "I guess he'll have to get a job of his own. Help out a little, pull his own weight."

Ben sighed, raising his eyes toward the ceiling. "Mr. Stark, should Aero go with you, what would—"

"He'd have his own bedroom," Tony said. Ben nodded, motioning for him to continue. "He already does. He'd have every need met—sick? I'm there. Nightmares? I'm there. He'd get driven to school, or we'd find a way for him to be there, because education is a high priority in our family. He'd still attend Midtown High School because he's already made a mark there, even though it's only been a couple of weeks. And given my job, I'd say I'm well off to support Aero and his kids and his grand-kids and beyond."

Aero grinned. It was going to be hard for Maxine to beat that.

"What is your financial status, Maxine?"

She wrinkled her nose. "Does it matter?"

Ben sighed, shaking his head as he turned to Tony. "And yours, Mr. Stark?"

"I'm ... a billionaire," Tony said slowly, almost comically. Aero covered his mouth, trying not to laugh; his mom gently elbowed him, giving him a look, but Aero could see that she was amused, too. It was almost too easy.

Ben nodded. "One more question. Can you both give me three reasons why Aero shouldn't go with the other person?" Tony and Maxine agreed. "Okay. Miss Adams?"

"Tony Stark has been shown to be irresponsible in the past—drinking, gambling, you know. And he's apparently a superhero, but I'd like to call him a supervillain, which means Aero's life is in danger everyday. What if he gets kidnapped? Or killed?" Murmurs broke out from the reporters side. Aero sneered at them—Maxine was just feeding their rumors. "And, besides, there's no way Tony has time to give Aero the love and attention he needs. And what's with just giving him a new mother like I'm not the one who raised him!" she added, shooting a glare at Pepper. Aero tensed, but Pepper remained calm.

Ben was quiet. Then, "Mr. Stark?"

Tony took a moment to answer. "Well, I guess I should state the obvious—Maxine was arrested for child abuse, right? The charges weren't dismissed. She was only released for good behavior." Aero almost laughed. "Besides that, let's see ... she's defensive about her financial status, which leads me to believe it's not in good standing. Should we talk about the fact that my son just said that going with her would make him kill himself?" Tony's voice cracked; Peter gripped Aero's hand tighter. "Let's talk about the fact that Aero has always been worried about money despite the fact that we have too much of it. He's never wanted anything for himself, and now I know it's because he had to pay the bills. A kid shouldn't have to worry about paying the bills."

"Mr. Stark—"

"Let's talk about the fact that Aero was too small to be seven when I met him. I thought he was younger, maybe four or five. But, no, he was just starved. He couldn't look anyone in the eyes until a week after he brought him home. He wouldn't eat unless we gave him permission. He would always be afraid he was going to be punished for eating. At _seven-years-old_, he was scared people were going to hurt him. You wanna know why he shouldn't go back with Maxine? Because she scared him. She makes his life hell. She starved him and _hit _him and made him take on too much responsibility. And I am _not _letting my son be put through that again."

There was a silence in the room, so intense that you could hear a pin drop. Aero didn't realize he was crying until Pepper wrapped her arms around him protectively, glaring at the reporters who tried to get pictures of him. Tony very quickly wiped at his eyes, confirming Aero's suspicions that he wasn't the only one who had been crying.

Ben smiled. "Thank you, Mr. Stark." He looked up at Judge Watson. "I have no more questions."

Judge Watson nodded. He looked at Jeri. "Ms. Hogarth?"

She smiled at him. "I believe we've heard everything we needed to hear."

Judge Watson nodded. "I'm calling recess until 12:05 PM," he announced, standing. "While I deliberate, please enjoy yourselves."

Aero didn't see how anyone could enjoy themselves after what had just happened, but he didn't question it. He stood to meet his dad, pulling him into a tight hug. Tony pat his back, laughing quietly. "Alright, kiddo?"

"No," Aero muttered, wiping at his eyes. Tony smiled, leading him back to the benches. Rhodey leaned over and gave Aero a hug, then Happy, then May. Aero smiled at each of them, but it fell away just as quickly. "What do you think—" His voice caught in his throat. "What do you think he'll decide?"

"That Tony's the best option," Rhodey said.

Aero nodded. Peter moved beside him and grabbed his hand, whispering, "Do you want—?"

"Aero." Aero froze; he didn't need to see everyone else's outraged expressions to know who was behind him. He would remember her voice from anywhere, even if he hadn't just heard her call his dad a villain. He turned, switching the hand that Peter was holding, but he still sought the comfort of Peter's hand. Maxine was staring at him, arms crossed, five feet away. "I don't know why you lied to the poor man, but—"

"I didn't lie," Aero snapped.

"Don't interrupt me," she shot back.

"Then don't treat me like a child." She rolled her eyes. "You don't get to say anything, _Maxine_. You gave birth to me, but that's it. You didn't raise me. You're _not _my mom. And once this is all over and I get to go back to a semi-normal life with my _real _parents, I'm getting a restraining order."

"Aero—"

"No, you don't get to say anything!" Aero cut in. "I don't know what your damage is—" Peter coughed, and Aero tried not to elbow him. Sure, he'd totally used a Heathers reference while arguing with Maxine, but so what? Sue him. "—but you don't get to walk back into my life after nearly ruining it. I have a _real _family now, and you're not taking that away from me. I don't care what you say or what you do, because it's obvious you haven't changed. You don't love me, you just want something to anchor you down. But has it ever occurred to you that when you keep losing people, it's your own fault?" He took a deep breath. "I'm done living in a world where you're waiting around every corner, or in the shadows. You aren't the monster under my bed anymore, Maxine. And while that may be painful to hear, I don't care. I'd rather die than be given back to you."

Her expression hardened. "Listen here—"

"Oh, my _God_, no one wants you here!" Peter blurted. He covered his mouth with his free hand, looking a little scared; Aero laughed as the tension drained away, nervous chuckled from his family soon following. He pointed at Peter with a grin.

"Yeah, what he said. If you _actually _want to do something right, leave. Me. _Alone_."

Maxine stood there, looking shocked. Rhodey tapped Aero's shoulder and cocked his head to the doors. Aero nodded, reluctantly letting go of Peter's hand and following his uncle outside. It was like a breath air to be released from the courtroom, even though Aero knew he'd have to go back inside in a few minutes. He sat down on a bench outside the room, putting his head in his hands.

"You alright?" Rhodey asked. Aero looked up at him. "Yeah, I guessed not." He sat beside Aero and turned to face him. "What can we talk about to get your mind off of it?"

Aero was silent for a moment, processing the events inside the courtroom. He lit up, then covered his face, embarrassed. "Oh, _God_, I totally held Peter's hand, huh?"

Rhodey chuckled. "Yep."

"And he didn't care."

"Nope."

"And I'm so, _so _whipped."

"Yep." Aero looked at him through his fingers; Rhodey sighed. "Listen, Aero, I think you should tell him. And your parents." Aero lowered his hands slowly. "Do you think they would go through all this trouble if they didn't love you unconditionally?" Aero shook his head, lowering his eyes. "And if they _did_, do you think everyone else would abandon you? Parker? Happy? Because I don't think they will. And I know damn well I wouldn't."

"It's just— different!" Aero exclaimed. "I can handle telling you and Happy. I can handle Peter knowing ... maybe ... but they're my _parents_."

"And they love you."

"But—" Aero cut himself off. After everything, he couldn't ignore that idea—his parents cared about him. They loved him. But what if that changed? What if it only took Aero two words to fuck up his relationship with two of the greatest people he's ever known?

Before he could process that, Peter poked his head outside of the courtroom. He smiled at Aero, but it quickly fell away. "Uh, it's 12:03. Miss Potts wants you guys back inside."

Rhodey sighed. "Alright. Come on, Aero," he said. Aero got up and followed him back inside.

He sat between his parents, Peter once again behind him. He didn't mind, though—sure, he missed holding Peter's hand, but he wanted his parents beside him when the announcement came.

Time seemed to go by at a snail's pace. It was difficult to breath. Aero's face felt hot, and he desperately wanted to go home and change into something more comfortable. Luckily he had different clothes in the car for after the case, when his parents would take him and Peter out for dinner and milkshakes. _If they even win_, his brain reminded him.

_Shut up_, his heart retorted before going back to its favorite practice of pounding so hard that Aero was pretty sure everyone else could hear it.

Judge Watson entered the room again. Everyone snapped their attention onto him.

"Court has rejoined," he announced. "Welcome back. After some time of deliberation, I've made my choice."

Aero tried to breath.

Judge Watson sat down. Aero tensed and felt his dad put his arm around his shoulder. Tony could pretend to be as calm and collected as he wanted—the truth was, they were both nervous. Aero leaned closer to him, trying not to breath too heavily—he knew that if he let one fast breath slip, he'd spiral into a panic attack. "I've decided..."

Why couldn't he breath?

"In the best interests of Aero Stark, the child..."


	12. CHAPTER TEN

Like Aero said: his instincts _suck_. He just never realized how much.

The day started out good. Like, _really_ good. Which should have been a sure sign that everything was about to go downhill.

But like most good days—lately, that is—Aero had started off his morning talking with Peter.

He was still _super _tired, and Peter had facetimed him at eight in the morning, but Aero had still answered. Now, four hours later, Aero still didn't regret that choice, even as exhaustion pulled at his eyes. But Aero knew that if he stopped talking to Peter, he'd start thinking about Martin, and then he would be tired and unable to sleep for a completely different reason.

"Wait, so you _trained _to be an assassin? When you were _ten_?" Peter asked. Aero laid on his back, smiling faintly as he watched Peter talk. He could do this all day, listen to Peter's voice, watch his expressions. It could be the end of the world and Aero would still love hearing him laugh, hearing the high pitch his voice took on whenever he was feeling incredulous. It was beautiful. Maybe going on a date with someone who wasn't Peter had made Aero realize just how special Peter really was.

Aero laughed. "When you put it like that, it sounds terrible!"

"It is!"

Aero chuckled. He smiled at Peter. "Hey, we should seriously hang out, though. For real. Not in a lying way."

"I told you not to call it that," Peter complained, pouting. Aero's heart jumped in his chest.

"I won't ask you to do it again," he suddenly said. Peter tilted his head, confused. "Lie, I mean. Trust me, if I'm ever hanging out with anyone again, it'll be you. I had fun last night, but ... I kind of wish I had actually seen a movie with you and Ned." Peter smiled at that, perking up. Aero couldn't help but smile back.

"Well, if you're free this weekend, I kinda wanted to see A Wrinkle in Time," Peter offered.

Aero nodded. "I'm free whenever. Seriously. You and Ned are pretty much my only friends."

Peter frowned. "What about Martin?"

Aero shrugged. "I don't really know _what_ we are, to be honest." Peter nodded. He glanced at the ground for a moment before looking up at Aero, taking a deep breath. Aero hesitated, not knowing where the sudden anxiety had come from.

"Well, uh, what if I wanted to see a movie just with you?"

Aero smiled at him. "I already told you I'm done, didn't I?"

"No, not— not like that," Peter said. Aero raised an eyebrow. "I mean. Kinda of like, you know." He threw his hands up in the air. Something beeped behind the screen and Peter sighed. "Never mind, I'll explain later. Something's happening downtown."

Aero couldn't explain the sense of disappointment that settled in his stomach. He smiled anyway. "Stay safe. I'll be over here dying of curiosity." Peter laughed. They said their goodbyes and Aero closed out of facetime, sighing. He sat up and ran a hand over his face, jumping slightly when his phone buzzed. He frowned and glanced at it, seeing Peter had sent him a message. So soon after they just said goodbye? Maybe whatever was happening downtown wasn't that important.

**Peter: **_I never actually asked. was last night fun? I know  
you kind of already answered, but you didn't sound  
convinced. is texting about it easier?_

Aero sighed, typing out a response. He didn't really know how to feel about last night. Some part of him felt fine—it wasn't the worst night of his life, and he didn't see what the big deal about a first kiss was. Another part of him felt disappointed. Maybe he shouldn't have gone on a date with Martin. Maybe he should have listened to Peter. But there was nothing he could do. He'd made his choice, and it didn't really seem like there were any lasting consequences. Martin hadn't eve texted him!

**Aero: **_i mean ... it was fine ig. im just so tired now._  
**Peter: **_at least you had fun._  
**Aero: **_you sound disappointed_  
**Peter: **_yeah._ _maybe I thought you would ditch Martin  
to hang out with Ned and I at the movies._

Aero raised an eyebrow.

**Aero: **_you know if you had said that i wouldn't have gone with Martin_

Peter didn't respond. Aero sighed, putting his phone down. Sunlight was streaming into his room, mid-afternoon light lighting up the bare walls. Aero laid on his side, his phone desperately clinging to life as Aero forgot to charge it. He waited for Peter's reply, but seeing that it wouldn't be coming anytime soon, he put his phone down and sat up, kicking the blanket off of him. He supposed it would be a good idea to stretch and actually do something to feel like a human being instead of sitting around and waiting for a reply.

It was currently noon, and Aero had only slept for two hours.

He hadn't meant to, but his brain was still thinking about that kiss. It felt ... weird, now. Aero felt like his first kiss should have been a big deal, but if just felt gross. He'd been in his room since 1:00 AM, had slept until 3:00, and had been awake for nine hours after that. His parents hadn't come to check on him, but he supposed he couldn't blame them. They probably thought he was still asleep.

He brushed his hair and tenth, then put on a comfortable thin sweater under a light blue jean jacket. He felt _somewhat _better, but still ... off. Like things weren't completely okay. But he looked fine, and he didn't understand what the problem was.

Aero sighed, sitting back down. He picked up his phone and was excited to see that he had a text message, but disappointed to see that it wasn't from Peter.

**Uncle J: **_Kid. Check the news._  
**Aero: **,,,_okay? which one?_  
**Uncle J: **_Daily Bugle._

Aero frowned at his phone before putting it down and grabbing his laptop, propping it up on his knees and opening it. He typed in the address for the Daily Bugle, recalling that it was some stupid news sight that was _definitely _a Republican place. He was taken to the front page; a video stared back at him, waiting to be played. It was titled _**BREAKING NEWS! The Stark Family Once Again in Trouble... **_Aero rolled his eyes, wondering what the hell was going on now. Was it about the custody case? Or was there some _other _ground-breaking scandal his family was involved in?

Aero put in his headphones and pressed play.

"_Welcome back, folks. Tonight, we have a very special story for you, coming straight from The Daily Bugle. Have **you **ever wondered about the love life of a certain Stark spawn? Me neither! But here it is, kids—_—_Aero Stark was photographed kissing a **boy **last night. Outside a restaurant Can you imagine how his poor parents feel? Do you care? I don't! Let's talk about Aero Stark for a second—_—_who even **is **this kid? Is he even Tony Stark's real son? All of these questions have been asked before, and none of them have been answered, until now. Because now we know **exactly **who Aero Stark is! The alleged son of a murderer. **Gay**. I wonder what Tony Stark is going to say about this. Is he going to hold a press conference? Tell the world it's fake? Look at the photo, listeners! And thank the reporter named Beatrice Thomas for providing this ground-breaking story. That's all for today, folks. Remember—_"

Aero stared at the screen, mouth open, trying to form words.

He slowly closed his laptop, shaking.

Aero felt short of breath. Of _course _he does, why wouldn't he? Four years he'd kept his sexuality a secret, from both the media and his parents. He hadn't even told _Peter_. He'd only told Martin (and Rhodey and Happy, but do you _honestly _expect him to believe they'd tell _anyone else_?), and now that had officially blown up in his face. Why had he believed that Martin had changed? Why had he tried to make it work? He should've listened to Peter. _Of course _he should have listened to Peter!

His phone was vibrating. Again and again, as someone tried to call him. Aero grabbed it, ready to chuck it against a wall, before he saw who was calling him. A moment later, Peter sent a text.

**Peter: **_did you see the news?_  
**Peter: **_I'm sorry Aero, of course you saw it_  
**Peter: **_can I come over? I need to make sure you're okay._  
**Peter: **_actually fuck it, I'm calling Happy and I'm coming over._  
**Peter: **_give me 15 minutes_

Aero put his phone down, rubbing his temples. He wanted Peter to come over, of _course_ he did. But he also didn't want to have to face anyone before he was ready to. And he wasn't ready. He could barely breath. He couldn't think. What were the chances that Tony and Pepper had already seen the news? How long before they came knocking on his door to ask him about it? Would he tell them it was a hoax? That Martin had kissed him and Aero hadn't gotten to say no? That it was a photoshopped picture, that he wasn't gay, he promised he wasn't gay? How much longer would he continue lying to them about his sexuality?

Curiosity got the best of him. He opened his phone and immediately went to Twitter, than to the Trending Page. There, at #3, was his name: _Aero Stark. _Then, in smaller writing, _Trending with: gay, Tony Stark, #IStandWithAero. _Not thinking clearly, he clicked on it.

**lovergirllibby: **_honestly some of ya'll show your real colors when someone is outed against their will. Aero's still a kid, it doesn't matter if he's in the spotlight, freaks. #IStandWIthAero_

**AdamHarrowBF: **_so do you think Aero Stark is a top or bottom? lmaooo_

**New York Times: **_Aero Stark, son of Iron Man, Tony Stark, outed as gay: [ link ]_

**SpideyNo1Fan: **_petition to get Beatrice Thomas banned from Midtown High School. Sign below: [ link ]_

Aero covered his mouth, trying to breath.

He stood up and moved toward his door, stepping out into the hall and making his way toward the living room. He felt like ants were crawling under his skin. He dug his nails into his palms, figuring that he might as well get it over with. And if, by _some _chance, they hadn't seen the news, then they were going to find out he was gay from _him. _Not Bea. Not Martin. Not Rhodey or Happy or Peter. _Him_. Aero. Their son.

The only person who should be telling them that Aero Stark is gay is Aero Stark himself.

They were sitting on the couch, looking over blueprints for something. Pepper looked up and smiled when Aero walked in, though her smile fell away when she saw how tense he was. "Aero? What's wrong?" she asked, sitting up. Tony, sitting beside her, shifted, looking at Aero with concern. Of course he was. They'd just won full custody of Aero. He should be celebrating, out on the town with Peter and Ned and maybe even Michelle. But instead, he was standing in front of his parents, close to tears and unable to find any words.

"Have you seen the news?" he asked, voice cracking.

Pepper frowned. She made to turn on the TV before Tony stopped her. "Why would we have to look?" he asked calmly.

Aero glanced at the couch across from the one they were on. He hesitantly sat down, wringing his hands together. Pepper and Tony were silent, waiting for him to speak. Aero couldn't breath. It was now or never. Well, not _never_, but if he didn't do this now, he'd never have the chance to come out to them himself, on his own terms. He just wishes he didn't feel so nauseated. He felt light-headed, and his stomach felt weak. Was it supposed to feel this way? He didn't know. He didn't feel this nervous when he came out to Martin. But, back then, he didn't think coming out to Martin would have any lasting consequences, and how _wrong _he'd been about that, and—

"Aero?" Pepper asked softly, prompting him to speak. Aero nodded, taking a deep breath.

"You know ... that I was friends with Martin Emerson when we were kids. And we stopped— we stopped hanging out because of some unknown reasons," he said, looking up. They nodded. "Ok. Well. Um. What happened was that I told him a secret. A _big_ secret. And he threatened to tell you guys unless I stopped talking to him." Aero took a deep breath, wiping his sweaty hands onto his jeans. "Well, uh. At school, he started talking to me again. And we sort of became friends again. We were taking things slow. And then, to celebrate Maxine losing the case, we went into the city. I told you guys I was with Peter. But I wasn't.

"I lied because I didn't want to tell you that I wasn't really celebrating with Martin. We were..." Aero shook his head. "Um. We went out to laser tag and then he walked me back to the restaurant so Happy could pick me up. He has this friend, Bea, who's a reporter, by the way. Well, a reporter in training. I thought she was cool, but she's ... _not_. Not at _all_. Because I think she paid Martin money to kiss me, and she got a photo of it." He looked up again. Pepper was nodding, and Tony looked pissed. Aero took a shaky breath as he continued. "Basically, uh, Martin and I weren't _just _celebrating. We were on a date. I _agreed_ to go on a date with him.

"Mom, Dad ... I'm— I'm gay."

It was quiet. _Too_ _quiet_. Aero shifted in his seat, keeping his eyes trained on the white carpet. He could feel his eyes well with tears, and he felt like punching something just so he wouldn't cry. It was too much. He'd fucked up. He never should've told them. They were angry. Disgusted. They were going to kick him out. They hated him. They were—

Pepper sat down beside him, putting a hand on his shoulder. Tony took the other side, pulling Aero in for a hug.

Aero let himself cry.

"Kid, you know that we love you no matter what," Tony said. Aero nodded. "And you know that my only problem with this is that you agreed to go on a date with Martin _Emerson_, right?" Aero snorted, laughing as he leaned out of the hug. Tony ruffled his hair as he did so, smiling with pride at the fact that he'd gotten Aero to laugh.

"Honey, we love you. We don't care that you're gay. We care that you were forced to tell us because of this," Pepper said, gently rubbing his back. "And if you want, we can fix this. Make it look like a hoax."

Aero shook his head. "Honestly, I'm just .. glad. I don't care who else knows as long as you guys accept it." Pepper nodded. Aero sighed, leaning back against the couch. "I just wish I could've told Peter before he found out like this. He's on his way over, by the way. Happy went to pick him up," he added, feeling immensely better now that he didn't have to deal with the pressure of coming out to his parents.

Pepper and Tony shared a look. Aero frowned, crossing his arms. "What? Should he not come over?"

Pepper pursed her lips, then sighed. "There's ... something we haven't told you."

Tony nodded. "Yeah, we haven't been entirely truthful, either, kid."

Aero frowned. Pepper got to her feet, then went to sit beside Tony so they could both face Aero and he could see them. Aero sat up and turned so his back was to the TV and he was fully facing them. "What's up?" he asked, suddenly nervous. What had they been hiding from him? Why were they just now _telling_ him? And how long had they been hiding ... whatever it is they had been hiding?

Tony sighed. "Well, here's the thing. There's a reason we sent you to Midtown, and it's not because you're a genius. Don't get me wrong, you obviously are, but it's clear that you're not interested in science. But we didn't just ignore that to push our own agenda."

"We don't have one," Pepper chimed in. "It was the only way for you and Peter to meet."

Aero stared at them, confused. What the hell did Peter have to do with this?

From the look on his face, Tony seemed to know that Aero wasn't getting what they were saying. "Kid ... I know Peter from the internship, remember? He's a great kid. He's your best friend."

And? What the hell did Peter's friendship—

Oh_. Oh_.

Oh, _**fuck** _no.

Aero felt his heart drop just as anger flared up in his chest. "So, what, you _paid_ this kid to be my friend?"

Tony shook his head. "No, kiddo, we didn't pay him. I asked him to talk to you. That's it."

"Oh, that's _it_?" Aero snapped. "It's not enough that you two have to decide what school I'm going to, even though I'm _clearly _not interested in science! No, now you have to _order _people to _talk to me_, because I, _apparently_, can't make friends by _myself_!" At that moment, the door opened, and Peter rushed in, eyes landing on Aero. He stepped forward, looking worried, but the expression fell away to confusion when he saw the look on Aero's face.

"Aero?" he asked, almost hesitantly.

Aero glowered at him. "Why _did_ you talk to me, Peter, on my first day?"

Peter frowned. Then his eyes widened as he realized what was happening. "Aero, it's not—"

"What, not what it looks like? Not true? Did you only talk to me because _Tony Stark _ordered you to?"

Peter shook his head. "No. No!" he insisted. "I would've talked to you! I wanted to be your friend!"

"Bullshit! You were perfectly fine with only having two friends around you! You only kept me around because you were taking orders!" Aero sneered.

"Aero, please sit down," Pepper pleaded, getting to her feet. Tony sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Let us explain this better."

"There's _nothing_ to explain!" Aero snapped. "You saw that I didn't have any friends and got worried, so you decided to order some kid to be my friend. Why? Did you want to keep an eye on me? Was he just the most willing? I don't understand why he would follow your orders if my friendship didn't have anything to do with your goddamn _internship_!"

"Enough, Aero," Tony said. "This isn't Peter's fault."

"And it's not yours," Pepper added, almost pleadingly.

"You're right! It's not my fault _you don't care about me!_"

The words hung in the air like a pin about to drop in a dead silent room. His mom had looked away, eyes tinged red; Peter went silent, eyes wide, looking like he wanted to disappear, melt right through the floor and pretend this never happened; his dad stared at him, mouth slightly agape, like he couldn't believe Aero had just said that. To be honest, Aero couldn't either. He'd never let his true feelings out like that before—he'd always bottled them up and waited until he was alone to let them out. And, besides, his feelings about not being cared for didn't even _relate_ to the current situation.

He'd always been afraid of the reaction. _This _reaction, the one he was getting right now.

"I'm ... I'm sorry, I didn't—"

Tony seemed to snap out of his daze, cutting Aero off. "Let's go for a walk kid. Just you and me. Come on."

[ _it's the only life you've got_ ]

The park was quiet.

They walked down one of the stone paths silently; Aero risked a few glances at him, but Tony never took his eyes off the scenery. It had been a _long _car ride—long and silent, the worst combination of things that happen in a car ride after a fight with your parents. And they still weren't talking, even an hour later, even when Aero had cooled down enough and things didn't seem so bad anymore. He wished he could disappear and go back home. He wished he could go back in time and prevent himself from saying anything. He wished, he wished, he _wished_...

"Ice cream?" his dad asked, nodding to a lone vendor. Aero hesitated, but Tony was already making his way over, so he followed.

"'Ello," the vendor greeted with a smile. At least until he saw who he was serving—his eyes went wide and his voice cracked at the end of his greeting. "Uh, what do you— we have a lot of flavors! We even have frozen lemonade!" he said, eagerly jumping at the chance to serve. Aero rolled his eyes.

Tony studied the small menu. "Two frozen lemonades," he ordered, which definitely _wasn't _ice cream, but Aero liked frozen lemonade, so he accepted the container and plastic spoon with a quiet thanks. He was quick to catch up with his dad, even though every bone in Aero's body was telling him to run in the opposite direction and ignore any call or text sent to his phone. This was awkward. Aero _hated _awkward.

However, the silence made him realize something—when was the last time it was just him and his dad, having a heart-to-heart? When was the last time Aero was genuinely alone with his dad, not hiding any secrets or lying through his teeth? He couldn't remember. And there were _still _secrets between them! Aero was still hiding things! Granted, they weren't as extreme as hiding his sexuality, or his feelings, but he was still hiding important things about himself. And that just wasn't fair.

They reached the end of the park. Tony sat on an empty bench. After a moment, Aero followed his lead.

Tony turned to look at him. Aero tried to meet his eyes, but found it was rather difficult. "Look, I'm sorry, okay? I didn't mean— I didn't want to say that," Aero muttered.

Tony sighed. "Kid, you don't have to apologize about anything, okay? We should've listened to you." Aero glanced at him before quickly training his eyes onto the bench they were sitting on. "You obviously didn't want to go to Midtown, but we sent you there anyway. And I should've known better than to talk to Peter." He sighed. "It's just ... you never left your room anymore, you know? You stopped smiling. I used to see you multiple times a day, but then I started seeing you less and less ... sometimes I wouldn't see you for days." Aero took a deep breath, blinking rapidly.

"I know, Dad," he said softly, staring a hole into his frozen lemonade.

"No, you don't." Tony sighed. "I thought Peter would be perfect. I didn't expect you guys to get so close." Aero looked up briefly. Tony gave him a knowing look, and Aero's face went red. Tony chuckled. "That's on me. But listen, Aero. Peter thinks you're amazing. He genuinely likes being your friend. Maybe you guys met because of some meddling. Maybe you guys wouldn't have talked without a little push. But I think that push helped you both. I don't think I've ever seen you happier."

Aero shrugged. He didn't know what to say.

And then he did. "It just ... hurts. A little bit. Because I thought he was my friend."

"He _is _your friend, Aero. If you went to school tomorrow like nothing happened, you'd notice that nothing has changed between you two. Maybe you'll need some time to work things out. But I don't think you're going to stop talking to him."

Aero raised an eyebrow. "_If _I went to school tomorrow?"

Tony smiled sadly. "I didn't think you would want to after the Emerson situation." Aero nodded, lowering his eyes. "Kid. I'm proud of you."

"Oh, don't—" Aero started.

"You think I don't care about you? You're my son. I care about _you_ more than anyone else," he said seriously, putting a hand on Aero's shoulder. "I have done nothing but support you and careabout you and _love _you ever since I found out you were my son. I was _thrilled _to find out I have a kid, that I have _you_, Aero. And nothing is going to take that away from me. Whatever's going on, I'm here. I'm not going anywhere."

Aero stared at him for a long moment, feeling a lump form in his throat. It suddenly felt hard to breath, and he allowed his dad to pull him into a bone crushing hug.

"You're so cheesy," Aero finally muttered. Tony laughed, pulling out of the hug. He took a bite of his own frozen lemonade before perking up, clearly jumping onto a new topic before Aero could even take a breath.

"Is there anything else you want to tell me?"

Aero was quiet, stirring his melty lemonade in thought. There was a lot of things he wanted to tell his dad. But only one stood out the most. "I'm a musical prodigy."

Tony paused. "What?"

"I can play a lot of instruments almost perfectly. I've never taken a guitar lesson and I still know how to play. It all comes ... naturally, I guess." Aero shrugged. "I don't want to be a scientist. I want to be a musician."

Tony smiled. "Aero, no one said you had to be a scientist."

Aero blinked, staring at him, stunned. "Wait, _what_? I thought that's why you sent me to Midtown!" He paused. "Or ... I guess that was because of Peter, huh?"

Tony sighed. "I— no, kid, we didn't send you to Midtown because we wanted you to meet Peter. We sent you there because it all worked out—you going to a school for gifted kids, Peter at the same school ... though I guess you didn't need to go there, anyway." He smiled sadly. "Is there a school you _did _want to go to? It might not be too late."

Aero thought for a moment. Sure, he'd love to change schools. He'd love to go a school that would nurture his talents. He'd love to start over again, at a place where no one knew him. And he'd love to do it all without going behind his parents backs. This was the chance he'd been waiting for.

But he thought of Ned. And Michelle. And, fuck, even Ms. Warren and Mr. Cobbwell and Ms. Cambell. He _liked _Midtown. He liked the people he met there. He liked having friends and really cool teachers. Hell, he'd even settle for _Flash_.

And he thought of Peter.

Peter Parker, who had talked to him because Tony Stark requested it. Peter Parker, who had helped Aero through most of his recent panic attacks. Peter Parker, who dropped everything to make sure Aero was okay after he was outed to the whole world, and who warned Aero endlessly about Martin and Bea, but who had let Aero make his own mistakes so he could learn. He thought of Peter Parker, whose smile lit up the room and made Aero's day just a bit brighter, because Peter brought sunshine wherever he went.

And he couldn't give that up.

"No. Midtown's great. I'l be okay there."

Tony nodded. "Then ... let's go home."

Home was an interesting word. Aero's home had changed locations a lot in just the past year. There was one consistency with it—his mom and dad. And, now, hopefully, Peter, if Aero ever moved on.

But that depended on if the confrontation went smoothly, Aero supposed.

Peter was walking down the hall. Even from where he was standing, Aero could sense that the other was dejected. He almost felt bad. Really, he did. He liked Peter. A lot. As in, more than a friend. And he couldn't stand to see Peter hurting, especially if Aero had caused it. But Aero had a _right_ to be angry. They both knew that. But ... maybe Aero could talk to him. Form a real friendship (though he didn't see how he could look past his hurt).

Still, Peter was cute. And nice. And funny. And a really, _really _good friend. He didn't have to advise Aero against going on that date with Martin. He didn't have to stick up for Aero after the party. He didn't even _have _to talk to Aero—it was just a suggestion. He'd looked out for Aero, whether it was with the news, Bea and Martin, or homework. Peter was a good friend, and Aero would be damned if he didn't at least try to make this work.

"Peter."

Peter stopped dead, turning to face Aero. Aero took a few steps toward him, almost hesitantly. "Hey."

Peter almost smiled, then thought better of it. He shifted, looking uncomfortable. "Hi." Then, "I tried to tell you. At Flash's party, outside, but Mar—" Peter made a face. "_He _interrupted me. Then yesterday, outside the courthouse, but you looked _so happy _when Miss Romanoff—" Aero almost laughed. Peter cut himself off. "I'm ... sorry." They were both silent, Aero trying to figure out what to say. But then Peter added, "That's what they were planning. They wanted to out you, but I didn't even know if you were actually gay and I didn't want to, like, out you myself? Because it wasn't my secret to know and I shouldn't have listened in because then you could have come out to me yourself, but I _did _listen and I _still _didn't do anything, and that's on _me_, Aero. I'm _so sorry, _I should have— have _told _you."

Aero sighed. He supposed he could see Peter's point of view—risk confirming that you know your friend—'friend'—is gay and upsetting him, or letting him tell you himself, but that the risk of the whole world knowing. That didn't mean he wasn't upset that Peter hadn't told him, but it meant that Aero wasn't going to go off on him. Still, he couldn't stop himself from asking. "Okay. But. Uh. Any of it. Was it real?" he asked. "Was _any_ part of our friendship real?"

Peter nodded quickly. "Of course it was! I started talking to you because Mr. Stark asked me to, but ... but I _really _like talking to you. You're smart. And you're nice. And you're a good friend. I don't regret following Mr. Stark's request, but I think I regret not telling you sooner because it's totally ruined our friendship and I really, _really _like you, so that sucks," Peter rambled, before stopping, eyes going wide. Aero stood, frozen, replaying Peter's words in his head. _I really, _really _like you._

"Wha—?"

"Company!" Peter added. "I really, _really _like your company! You're a good friend! A _great_ friend!"

Aero nodded slowly, not believing him for a second. "Right. Okay. _Company_," he repeated, grinning despite himself.

Peter sighed. "Uh, also. Are you okay? From this morning, I mean. Did you see the news?" He groaned. "Wait, never mind, of _course _you saw the news. Sorry."

Aero stared at him. Then he shrugged. "Yeah. I'm fine. I'm gay. So, there's that."

"...How are you gonna deal with it?"

Aero pinched the bridge of his nose, shaking his head. "Hell if I know. This wasn't _exactly_ my coming out plan. I wasn't even _planning _on coming out."

"You could deny it," Peter suggested.

"Why the hell would I deny it? I'm— I'm not ashamed of it," Aero snapped, before quickly backpedaling when he saw Peter's expression. "I mean— I just mean ... there's nothing to deny. I'd rather just get it over with so this can't be used against me in the future."

Peter nodded silently. Then he smiled. "Well ... I'm ... I'm bi," he admitted, which was the most surprising revelation of the morning.

"Oh," Aero said quietly, heart beginning to race. "Cool." _Very cool. So. Like. Do you want to go on a date? No, don't ask him that. No, _ask_ him. If he says no, that's fine. You don't even know if this friendship is going to continue. You can avoid him. It's fine. _"Very cool. So. Like. Do—"

"I'm also Spider-Man!" Peter blurted.

_Well, maybe _that's _the most surprising revelation, _Aero thought. Then he laughed. Right in front of Peter, who was probably just a ball of anxiety right now, Aero laughed. He really couldn't believe it. Talking about sexuality was one thing. Coming out as Spider-Man was another, but Aero supposed it _actually_ made sense. Why else would Peter follow Tony's instructions, and why else would Tony have direct contact with Peter unless they knew each other from something _other _than an internships that probably _hundreds _of other people had?

Peter Parker is Spider-Man. _Of course._

"Hey, wait, it's not— it's not funny," Peter defended.

Aero shook his head. "No, it's not. It's— it's not funny, sorry, it's just ... wow. You're Spider-Man. I'm— I'm kind of a big fan," Aero admitted, almost embarrassed. But the embarrassment was worth it, seeing Peter's face light up.

Holy shit. He had a crush on _Spider-Man._


	13. CHAPTER ELEVEN

So, one missed school day turned into a missed school week. Aero would've preferred missing another month, but Principal Morita—though hesitantly—called Tony and Pepper to tell them that if Aero missed any more school, he'd be suspended (and if he was a normal student, he'd be expelled). Pepper had offered to negotiate (and had begged Aero to consider homeschooling again), but Aero agreed to go back.

Which led to now. Sitting in the car, nervously bouncing his leg as he waited for Happy to tell him to get off. They'd been sitting there for five minutes. Maybe Happy didn't want Aero to get off, either. Maybe he could skip one more day, just one! Surely Principal Mortia would understand?

"Kid," Happy finally said. Aero looked up at him, nodding. "Are you going to be okay?"

"...I'll live," he decided, putting his hand on the door handle. He hesitated again. He hadn't called Peter. He hadn't even texted him to let him know he was coming back. He still liked Peter—dear God, who _wouldn't_?—but that didn't mean he wanted to see him. If he and Peter talked again, it would be on his own terms. But there was still one person he could call who would happily go outside to walk with Aero to class.

When he saw him, Aero turned to Happy and nodded. "Ready."

"Stay safe, kid. I'll pick you up," Happy said, smiling at him, just faintly. Aero nodded and got off the car, closing the door behind him.

"Bea and Martin got _expelled,_" Ned said immediately upon seeing Aero. "Get this—apparently Principal Mortia was given evidence that they cheated during their entrance exams! No one knows who told him, though! My money's on your mom, but Peter says Miss Potts wouldn't do that. _Did_ she do that?"

Aero laughed. He tried to block out the feeling of everyone staring at him. "No, she would have told me. Or she would have hinted about it. Or my dad would have let it slip. It must've been someone else."

Ned shrugged. "Well, either way, they aren't allowed on campus anymore. And the city said that no news agency can park within a mile of the school!" he explained.

"Yeah, _that _was my mom," Aero confirmed. He scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. "Um. So. Do you mind?"

Ned scoffed. "Why would I mind? Peter's—" Ned cut himself off, looking sheepish.

Aero smiled despite himself. "Yeah, I— I know. He told me."

Ned nodded. "Good." He looked around as they entered the hallway. Hundreds of eyes turned to look at them. Aero felt his breath freeze in his chest, but Ned continued on and Aero followed, not wanting to look like he cared about what other people thought about him. "So, do you like him?" Ned asked as they came upon Aero's locker.

Aero coughed. "Uh, what?"

"Do you like Peter?"

"Like, platonically?"

Ned rolled his eyes. "No. _Romantically_."

Aero looked away from him, putting in his locker combination. "Um. No. I don't like Peter _romantically_."

"Yeah, and my full name isn't Edward," Ned teased. Aero glanced at him. "See, my full name _is _Edward, so what you said about _not_ liking Peter—"

"No, I— I get it," Aero said. Ned nodded. "Even if I _do _like him like that, our friendship is a lie, so it doesn't matter."

Ned blinked, clearly not having expected that. "What do you mean?"

"My dad talked to Peter before I met him," Aero said simply, deciding to leave it at that.

Ned nodded to himself. Aero closed his locker and turned to face his friend, but his attention was caught by someone laughing. Despite his best attempt, his eyes flickered over to see a tall—clearly a senior—boy, staring directly at Aero and whispering behind his hand to his friends, who all laughed and looked at Aero. Aero rolled his eyes and tried not to feel upset as he looked back at Ned, who glared at the boys.

"Ignore them," Ned said. "They're just goons."

"Yeah, being led by a senior."

"_Super _senior," Ned corrected. "Miles was supposed to graduate last year."

"Did medical issues hold him back?"

"No, he just skipped class too many times."

Aero grinned, turning his gaze onto Miles. "Really? So he was just too stupid to graduate, then?" he asked, loudly. Miles scowled at him and took a step forward. "That makes sense. So, the only way he can feel superior to everyone else is by making fun of them? How did he pass his entrance exam?"

"Shut it, freak," Miles hissed.

"Sorry, what was that? Daddy's money paid for you?" Aero taunted.

"Say that again, fag, I dare you," Miles sneered, pushing Aero against the lockers. A ringing started in Aero's ears, drowning out every other sound. Vaguely, he could hear people yelling in their direction, but their voices were drowned out.

"Leave him alone!" Ned.

"Come on, Miles, stop it!" Betty.

"Get off of him." Michelle.

"Hey, _Henway_!" someone called out, pulling Miles off of Aero. Flash slammed the boy against a locker; Aero flinched, taking a step back as he felt Ned grab his arm. "You wanna keep talking shit, or do you wanna walk away? You get five seconds to decide."

The hall was silent. Finally, Miles pushed Flash off of him and walked away, grumbling under his breath. Aero fixed himself as he stared at Flash, both surprised and ... appreciative? Holy shit, _Flash _had just defended Aero from a bully. And Aero was pretty damn sure it wasn't for brownie points.

"...Thank you," he said.

"We don't tolerate bullying here," Flash told him. Quickly, seeing Aero's expression, he added, "Mild teasing is okay?"

"...I know you've left Peter alone, so I guess you're good." Flash nodded, looking proud of himself. "You know what, Flash? You're a good guy," Aero added, which only served to make Flash perk up even more. "Thank you. I guess I gotta watch out for _three _people looking to harass me, not four."

"Well, getting Emerson and Thomas off campus was easy, so you won't be seeing much of them."

Aero tried to process what that meant, but couldn't thank Flash again before Ned gently tugged on Aero's arm again. Aero looked at him, but his eyes were quickly drawn to Peter, who stood at the end of the hall. He looked stunned to see Aero standing there, talking to Flash after having just gotten threatened. Before either of them could say anything, Peter turned the corner and disappeared again, leaving Aero with a vague feeling of disappointment.

That disappointment didn't go away, even when Mr. Cobbwell announced that the class would be going on a field trip as a special bonus for the science fair. Aero should have been excited—he should have been thrilled. But he had moved back to his original seat, now that Martin and Bea were gone, and he could see the way Peter turned around to look at him every few minutes. It hurt, because Aero couldn't take his eyes off Peter, either.

"Make sure your permission slips are signed!" Mr. Cobbwell said as the bell rang. Aero quickly ran off to band, for once not waiting for Peter.

And what a mistake that was.

He doesn't know how they managed to get on campus. He doesn't know how they hadn't been seen. But Martin and Bea were there in the parking lot, waiting for Aero. They approached when they saw him, and it was too late for Aero to run when he noticed them.

"Aero," Bea said sweetly, smiling. "How are you?"

Aero couldn't really explain the overwhelming anger and hatred that threatened to bubble over. Even just seeing Martin made his blood run cold. But what stuck out the most was, and Aero didn't even want to consider this, fear. Aero was afraid of them, and he was angry at himself for being scared. They were nothing. Absolutely nothing.

But he still wanted to run.

That's all he ever did. Run, run, _run_.

He was tired of running.

So he laughed.

"Wow. You guys have some guts, showing up here. Though I guess I shouldn't expect better of people who cheated on the _entrance _exam." Bea's face went sour. Martin scowled.

"Whatever trick your dad pulled—"

"Oh, no, he had nothing to do with it. Neither did my mom," Aero added. "You guys just don't realize how hated your are, huh? No, it was another student who exposed you. But I'm not giving out names. I don't like outing people." Bea rolled her eyes.

"Come _on_, Aero, you know it isn't like that."

"Like what?" Aero snapped. "Outing me to my family? Faking being my friend?" He turned his glare onto Martin. "And I may hate Beatrice and all she stands for, but you? It's not a surprise your dad ran away." He looked Martin up and down, enjoying the way Martin stiffened at his comment. "I would, too."

"Say that again, I dare you," Martin hissed.

Aero rained an eyebrow. "Your dad left because he's ashamed of his son. Are you surprised?"

Martin took a step forward.

"Leave him alone," Peter snapped, putting in arm in front of Aero. Aero took a step back, surprised. Then he grinned. Sure, let's see Martin go toe-to-toe with Spider-Man. Why not? "You shouldn't be here. I think you should leave before security gets here."

"This isn't your fight, Parker," Martin sneered.

"He's my _friend,_" Peter insisted. "Leave. Him. Alone."

Bea stared at them both. She sighed. "Look, we just want Aero to put in a good word. Get us back at Midtown."

"Are you out of your _goddamn _mind?" Aero asked, incredulous. She shrugged. "Holy shit. You're insane. Like, you need to be in a mental hospital," he said, mostly to himself, because, well, _holy shit_, on what grounds did they think that was even a _remotely _reasonable request?

"Hey, we _helped _you," Martin said. "You were too much of a coward to come out, and we helped you do it."

Aero pushed past Peter, blinded. "Are you _fucking_—"

"Hey, _hey,_" Peter said, putting his hand over Aero's arm as gently as possible. "Listen. Let's go, okay? They don't matter."

Aero stared at him, trying to tame his anger. His whole face felt hot. His chest felt tight. But he wasn't having a panic attack.

"...Okay. Let's go," he agreed, nodding and pursing his lips as tight as he could. Peter began leading him away.

"You _have _to forgive me!" Bea called after him. Aero froze, then turned to face the two of them, ignoring Peter's quiet groan.

"I was just dong my job. Besides, it's not like you got hurt or anything. What's the big deal, Aero?" Martin sneered.

"The 'big deal?'" Aero quoted. "The 'big deal' is that you outed me to not only my parents, but the entire world. You took away the _one thing _that I was supposed to decide. You don't have the _right_ to tell me to forgive you when you put my personal life on blast for all those little rodents that you call followers, Beatrice! I'm supposed to tell people! I'm supposed to be the one who decides when I come out and who I come out to! You took that away from me," he said lowly, dangerously. "So now I'm taking something from you. You want to mess with a Stark? Fine. Just don't be surprised when that internship of yours slips away." He glowered at Martin. "And I wonder how _your _parents would feel, knowing you kissed a guy, Emerson. Maybe we should find out."

He turned around again and began walking toward the band room.

"Aero, come back here!" Bea yelled, desperate. "You can't do that! You don't have the power to do that! Get back here!" She was crying. Aero almost felt bad. Of course, he wasn't sure if he was actually going to mess with her. He hated her more than anything, even himself, but he wasn't quite sure he was at her level. He didn't like messing with people's lives. So maybe, just this once, he'd let it slide. And he definitely wasn't going to 'out' Martin. No. He wouldn't go so low as to tell someone's parents that they kissed a guy. Because that was wrong (well, maybe he would mess with him, but not to that extent).

There were other ways to mess with them. And maybe Aero wouldn't take away what they love, but that doesn't mean he would stop his parents from doing so.

But that didn't mean he was going to tell _them _that.

[ _be something greater_ ]

The day of the field trip approached faster than Aero wanted it to.

Don't get Aero wrong, he loves field trips. He's never _been_ on one, mind you, but he loves the idea of them. A day off of school, free lunch—plus, being around classmates at a place that _wasn't _school just _hit _differently. But he didn't want to go on this field trip. Field trips were meant to be spent with friends.

Ned would be hanging out with Peter. Michelle would be on her own. Even though he had defended Aero, Aero didn't want to hang out with Flash. Betty was sweet, but he'd definitely feel like a third wheel when she was with her real friends. And, well, Aero hadn't talked to Peter since he'd tried pulling Aero away from fighting Martin and Bea. There was no one to hang out with, and Aero would be alone. Again.

Things always came full circle.

"Don't forget your permission slip," Pepper reminded him in the morning, hanging Aero the piece of white paper. He sighed and put it in his backpack. "Your dad is going to drive you," she added, making Aero freeze.

"Uh, what?" he asked, surprised. "Isn't he, like, _busy_?"

"I'm meeting him at the park later, so it's just easier," she said, ruffling his hair. "Love you, Aero."

"Yeah, I love you, too," he replied absentmindedly, heading to the garage. True to Pepper's word, Tony was waiting for him next to one of the more expensive looking cars. Aero sighed, climbing into the passenger's seat. With Happy, Aero could always ride in the back, but his dad loved having him in the front for some reason.

"Why are you and mom going to the park?" he asked as they pulled away from the compound.

"Wedding stuff," Tony said simply. Aero frowned. "Plus, I had a super weird dream that I want to discuss." He gave a look. "And I'll tell you what it is after I tell her." Aero sighed in disappointment, leaning back in his seat. "Are you excited about today's trip?"

Aero shrugged. "I'd rather be home," he muttered.

Tony frowned. He was quiet for a moment, then, "Have you, uh, talked to Peter?"

"Once."

"And?"

"And we're not friends again, dad, Jesus." Aero crossed his arms, shaking his head. "It's awkward. I don't know what else I can say about it. Things have ... changed."

Tony sighed. "Have you made an _effort _to talk to him? Have _either _of you made an effort?" Aero stayed silent. "That's what I thought. Why don't—"

"Are you and mom actually meeting at the dark or are you just here to lecture me?" Aero asked. Tony glanced at him through the mirror. Aero sighed. "Whatever."

"Aero," Tony said calmly, "can you give him a chance? That's all I want to know. You guys were great together. And I know you both miss being each other's friends."

"So you told Peter to be my friend, and now you're telling me to be Peter's friend?" Aero teased. Tony chuckled. After a moment, Aero sighed. "Okay. I'll talk to him today," he promised, hoping this would be a promise he could actually keep. It shouldn't be hard, talking to Peter. It shouldn't make Aero feel so ... _nervous. _But he was. And that's okay. Because Peter wouldn't judge him. Aero just had to remember that.

"Hey, how about tonight we ... we all do a Game Night. Me, you, your mom, Happy, and Rhodey?" Tony suggested as they pulled into the school parking lot. There was a yellow school bus at the entrance. A few students that Aero recognized from Mr. Cobbwell's class milled around, laughing and talking. A few of them look in their direction, noticing the expensive car that drove by, but they quickly took their eyes off of it to go back to their conversations.

Tony elbowed him. Aero laughed. "Sure, why not. It's going to get crazy. And I'm going to kick your ass."

"I'd like to see you try," Tony challenged. "Now go have fun."

"But not _too _much fun?" Tony sighed, rolling his eyes. "Okay, okay, I'll see you tonight," Aero said, laughing. He got off the car and waved to his dad as he walked toward the bus.

"Nice ride," Betty commented.

"Thanks, my dad drove me," Aero said. Then he wondered why he said it. But Betty didn't seem to mind. She nodded and gave him one last smile before turning back to her friend. Aero shrugged and noticed that Mr. Cobbwell had begun boarding students. He headed over and greeted his teacher before getting on the bus, looking for a seat.

Aero stopped, looking around and noticing that there was only one completely empty seat, right next to Ned and Peter. Peter was staring out the window, clearly distracted, but Ned met Aero's eyes. After a moment, Aero made a motion toward Peter; Ned nodded and whispered something to Peter before moving to the empty seat. Peter glanced at him. clearly confused, before shrugging and going back to looking out the window.

Aero approached. He nodded to Ned in thanks before clearing his throat. "Is this seat taken?"

Peter glanced up, looking surprised. Then he quickly recovered, shaking his head furiously and scooting even closer to the window so Aero could sit down. Aero sat, staring at the brown leather seat in front of him, trying not to be awkward. He glanced at Peter out of the corner of his eye, seeing that Peter was was fidgeting nervously.

Aero sighed. "So. Um. Hi."

"Hi," Peter said softly. "...Are we talking now?"

"I ... never really wanted to stop," Aero admitted.

"Me, neither," Peter said. "...Are we friends again?"

"...I don't know," Aero finally said. Peter sighed, nodding. "But I'd like to be."

Peter looked at him, eyes wide. "Really?"

Aero took a deep breath, turning to face him. "Look. My family and I are having a Game Night. Why don't you and May come by? It'll be nice. We can play Clue."

Peter smiled, nodding. "I think we can manage that."

Aero couldn't help but grin. "I'll see if Happy wants to pick you guys up."

The bus rattled underneath their feat as it began moving. Aero settled into his seat, feeling lighter than he had in months. Things were _finally _going back to normal—no more secrets, no more lies, no more fear. Every truth was out there. Well, every truth except for Aero's never dying feelings for Peter, but Aero would rather confess those when they weren't on a confined space with nowhere to run if the situation turned bad.

The bus got onto the freeway. Aero turned his body to talk to Ned. "Thanks. You didn't have to give up your seat."

Ned shrugged. "Trust me, you both needed it more than I did." He grinned. "Are you gonna tell—?"

"Not yet!" Aero yelped. He could _feel _Peter turn to look at him. "Maybe ... tonight. Possibly. No promises," he added, seeing Ned perk up. "And only if—"

Peter suddenly grabbed his arm, catching his attention. "Aero," he said quietly. Aero followed his gaze, seeing exactly what he was—a giant floating spaceship that looked like a donut, hovering over the city. He huffed and grabbed his phone from his pocket, going to his emergency contacts and pressing the name at the top of the list. There were only two rings before the call was answered.

"Dad?" Aero asked. "Hey, are you seeing this?"

"Yep, I see it," Tony confirmed, making Aero's heart drop. "I need to go, kiddo. Stay safe."

"I love you."

He could almost hear Tony's smile. "I love you, too, Aero. I'll see you soon. I'll be back in time for Game Night."

Aero put his phone back into his pocket as Peter climbed over his lap. "Whoa, what, _hey_," Aero snapped, grabbing Peter's arm. "Think this through."

"I am!" Peter said. "Ned, I need you to cause a distraction!" he ordered. Ned looked at him and stood, then noticed the spaceship. He exclaimed, "We're all gonna die!" and got the attention of everyone else, who quickly ran to the back of the bus to get a better view of the ship. Aero rolled his eyes. "Aero, your dad is out there. I have to go."

"Peter!" Aero whispered loudly, jumping up from his seat. Peter paused, turning to face him, looking a little annoyed that Aero had stopped him from his world-saving activities. Aero rolled his eyes again, wondering when his headache was going to kick in. "Just be careful, okay? I ... don't want to hear that you died."

"_Very_ reassuring, Aero, thank you," Peter said.

Aero groaned. "Look, just ... what I'm trying to say..." He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Look," he said, lowering his hand, "I still care about you. A lot. And I don't want to lose you. So if you could just _please _stay alive, that would be great." He swallowed. "And ... look out for my dad. Please." Peter nodded, though he looked concerned. "Good luck," he added, smiling as he watched Peter leap through the bus window, pulling his mask on. How that boy ever managed to keep his identity a secret was beyond Aero, but it's not like he was exactly the poster child for keeping secret identities, well, a secret, either.

He turned around to look out the window, frowning.

Spaceships. In New York. Made enough sense, but this one gave Aero a bad feeling. He only hoped that he would see Peter later.

After all, Aero needed to tell him how he felt, before some other world-ending situation arose.

[ _go make a legacy_ ]

As the hours dragged on, Aero only got more anxious. Could you blame him? Hours of no contact from his dad or Peter, the two people who had disappeared into space, according to a frantic phone call from his mom. She had asked if he wanted Happy to pick him up, but Aero refused, wanting to remain on the field trip so he could try to calm himself down, but it only served to make him worry.

Ned and Michelle both seemed unconcerned, but Aero didn't think they knew the gravity of the situation. No one was dead yet, but that didn't mean it wasn't coming.

"Look, they have a knock off Captain America exhibit," Michelle pointed out.

Aero raised an eyebrow, looking around. "They got almost all of it right, but they forgot the part about Bucky Barns," he pointed out.

Ned squinted at him. "Wait, I thought you didn't like Captain America?"

Aero shrugged. "Well, when I _did_, I begged my dad to take me the actual Smithsonian exhibit. I memorized every detail of that place so I could impress Steve Rogers with how much I know about him. I guess it stuck," he said, not really bothered by it.

"Oh, no way! There's an Iron Man one!" Michelle announced, pointing out the red and gold hallway to their right. "Come on, we _have _to go," she said.

Aero groaned but followed after her and Ned, knowing this was about to be super embarrassing. It was nice, though. It took away some of the worry.

"Aero, you're over here!" Ned announced, making Aero's face go red. He walked over to Ned and saw what he meant—his dad's family tree stared back at him. At the very bottom was Aero's name, marking him as Tony's only kid. "That's so cool, did you know about this?" Aero shook his head. "There's probably a lot of other things about you here since you're his kid," Ned mused.

"I'd be surprised and mildly insulted if that wasn't true," he said, shrugging. "Come on, let's see what other embarrassing things there are."

They looked around for a while. There were mini statues of Tony, a talking presentation of the court battle, stories about his dad's childhood ... everything you would think would be in a museum exhibit dedicated to Tony Stark.

"How much do you know about your granddad?" Michelle asked. Aero frowned and walked over, seeing she was reading about his grandfather, Howard Stark.

"Yeah, I don't— from what I know, I would have hated him," Aero confirmed. "I think he was abusive. There was just certain videos, you know? Stuff you can't unsee or unhear." Michelle nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, he seems like a bitch," she said. Aero laughed, walking away

"Lunch break!" Mr. Cobbwell announced, his voice echoing down the hall. "Leeds, Stark, Jones—please come join us!"

Aero walked back to the rest of the class with Ned and Michelle, looking around the rest of the exhibit. At the end of the hall, where the rest of the class was, was a framed photo of Tony, Pepper, and Aero. It was the first photo they'd taken together as a family. Aero should know—he had the same photo framed on his nightstand.

"If you brought a lunch from home, please make your way to the grass," Mr. Cobbwell was saying, directing everyone outside. Aero wondered how he did it, managing his two AP science classes without another teacher to help. Aero was glad it was only his AP science classes, as that meant less people, but that Ned got to join him and Michelle on the trip. Still, he hoped they weren't all giving Mr. Cobbwell a headache with how much they were running off. "If you're parents ordered lunch from the school, please meet me by the oak tree to collect it!"

Aero saw down on the lawn, digging through his backpack for the lunch Pepper had made him. Ned saw next to him, and Aero waited for Michelle to collect her lunch from Mr. Cobbwell before he began eating.

"This is fun," he commented.

"Peter would love this," Ned added, taking a bite of his sandwich.

Ah, there go the nerves again. "Yeah."

"No point thinking about it," Michelle reminded them. "Instead, let's talk about the fact that there's a picture of baby Aero in the museum."

Aero groaned. "Let's _not _do that," he suggested. "Let's talk about science projects?"

Michelle rolled her eyes. "Ned and I finished that weeks ago. No spoilers," she added, seeing that Aero was about to ask what their project was. "You?"

"Peter and I are almost done," he said, neglecting to mention the fact that they were delayed by their loss of friendship. "No spoilers, either."

Michelle shrugged. "Doesn't matter, Ned and I are going to win."

"In your dreams, Jones," Aero challenged.

She smirked. "I don't dream."

Aero grinned at her. Yeah, maybe he had more than one friend. And he could see why that wasn't a bad thing.

The rest of the trip, surprisingly, went by smoothly. No attacks from the sky, no kidnappings or murders, nothing out of the ordinary—which made everything that much more nerve wracking, whenever he thought about his dad and/or Peter (mainly both), being up in space with no way to assure anyone that they were alright. Aero supposed that, when you lived in a world full of superheroes, gods, and aliens, a sense of normality wasn't expected. So when one was felt, things were ... strange.

Normal was boring. Aero had long since learned that. But that doesn't mean he didn't like it.

He wished things would be normal for once. He wished he could have all the people that he loves in one room for one night without having to worry about someone dying.

But all Aero could do was wait for that night. Wait on a stupid school bus for one night of peace.

They returned to school earlier than expected, but only by twenty minutes, in which they were told they could remain out of class as long as they stayed nearby. School was about to be let out, anyway. Aero sat on the curb next to his backpack, boredly looking for one of the cars his dad owned, knowing Happy would be the one to pick him up. He didn't even have to ask—of _course _Happy would pick him up.

Aero stood as a nicer looking car drove into the parking lot, recognizing Happy behind the wheel. He waved goodbye to Michelle and Ned before walking toward the car, ready to be done with school for the day. It was fun, he decided. He enjoyed most of the trip. But he still couldn't wait to get home, because getting home meant that his dad would be home soon, too, because Tony had _promised_. His dad had never broken a promise, not one made to Aero, at least.

Tony Stark would be home in time for Game Night. That's all Aero had to remember.

"Have fun today?" Happy asked as they pulled away from the school.

Aero shrugged, buckling his seat belt. "Sure. A little nerve wracking, but for my first field trip, pretty fun, I guess." He sighed, leaning forward. "Anything from dad? Peter?"

Happy shook his head, frowning. "Sorry, kid, nothing yet. Pepper talked with him before he went up, but we haven't heard anything since."

Aero leaned back, nodding. "Do you think— do you think he's okay?"

Happy was quiet for a moment. "He's Tony. Probably not. But he'll make it out alive. He always does."

Aero nodded, more confident. "Yeah. You're right," he decided, smiling now, assured. His dad was Tony Stark, and Tony Stark always made it out of impossible situations. It's just what he did, and he did it well. The Battle of New York, Sokovia, the airport—whatever this new threat was, his dad would be fine.

The rest of the ride passed in silence. Aero thanked Happy for picking him up when they got home, than went to his room. He put his backpack by the door and laid down on his bed, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath.

For the first time in months, there was a sense of calm.

Complete and utter—

"Hey, Aero. Can I sit?" Pepper asked, smiling hesitantly. Aero looked over at her, noticing that she was standing in the doorway. He frowned and sat up, nodding and patting the seat next to him. She sat down, not meeting his eyes, which made nerves settle in his stomach.

"Mom? Is something wrong?" Suddenly stricken with a thought, he took her hand. "Is Dad okay? Have you heard anything from him?" Aero would have thought, should something have happened to Tony, that Peter would call him when they got back to Earth. Unless ... something happened to _Peter_? Oh, God, what if something happened to _both _of them?

"No! No, nothing from Tony yet," Pepper told him, though Aero wasn't sure if that was assuring or not. "It's ... something else."

"Are you sick?" he asked.

She smiled faintly. "I will be."

"Is it deadly?" Aero pestered, though he quickly realized she didn't sound scared.

"In some cases," Pepper mused. She shook her head, turning to face him. "This morning, while you were on the bus, your dad and I went for a jog to talk about the wedding," she began, making Aero brighten. "And he told me that he had a dream. He ... told me that he dreamed that we were having another kid together. That I'm pregnant," she explained. Aero furrowed his brows, stumped, before his eyes widened and his mouth dropped open. Pepper laughed. "Yes, Aero, I'm pregnant. You're going to be an older brother."

Speechless. That's the only way to describe how Aero felt. He couldn't find the words that he wanted to say. Probably because he didn't want to say anything—he just wanted to jump around the room and cheer. He wanted to call Peter and tell him the news. He wanted to see his dad's reaction. Hell, he wanted the baby to be in his life already, because he couldn't wait to be an older brother. The prospect was too exciting.

_Holy shit! _He was going to be a _brother_!

"Oh, my God, Mom, that's— that's amazing, holy shit, that's awesome!" he stammered, not caring for her reaction to his language. "You're having a _baby_! Oh, my God!"

Pepper laughed. "I'm glad you're excited, Aero," she stated, and the relief was clear in her voice. Aero didn't understand—how could he _not _be happy about being a brother, especially an older one? He'd always dreamed of having a sibling, someone he could look out for, someone who he could team up with to pull pranks to mess with their parents. They were financially stable enough to support another kid—hell, they could support having hundreds, if not thousands, of other kids, but Aero wasn't going to complain.

"Do you have a name? Do you know what it's going to be? No, of course you don't, it's too early, you're probably only a month in, and—"

"Aero, Aero, slow down," Pepper ordered, making Aero stop and take a deep breath. "Don't turn into your father right now, I'm going to have to deal with him enough during the next eight months," she teased. They both laughed, though they were interrupted by a knock at Aero's bedroom door. Aero looked away from his mom, smiling in greeting to Happy, who looked between them, confused as to why they were laughing.

"You wanted to see me?" he asked, directing his question to Pepper.

She nodded, winking at Aero, who made a motion of zipping his mouth shut. He grinned at them as they left, both talking in hushed whispers. Aero fell back onto his bed, staring at the ceiling with a bright grin that he couldn't wipe away. _He _was going to be an older brother. Him. Aero! _Christ_, he couldn't wait.

There were so many thoughts buzzing inside his head, and Aero knew he couldn't wait to tell someone. He had to let the secret spill to _somebody! _But he only knew two people to tell—who were on Earth, anyway, because Peter would obviously be the first person he'd come to with this secret. Ned and Michelle were the only other two he could tell, but he didn't particularly feel like telling either of them. Don't get him wrong, he loves Ned to death, but Aero knows that boy can barely keep a secret to save his life, and he doesn't want the news spreading too soon. And while he enjoys Michelle's company immensely, he knows that once he tells her the news, they'd have nothing else to talk about.

Bah. He needs to go somewhere. For a drive, maybe. Just to clear his head.

Aero got off his bed and grabbed his jacket from his desk chair. He followed the hallways down to the kitchen, where Pepper and Happy were cheerfully conversing, probably about the new development in the family. He waved to get their attention, and only spoke when he had it. "Can I go out? If I'm trapped here for any longer I might accidently tell someone about the baby," he added, seeing them both about to protest.

Pepper frowned. "I don't know. I don't like you and Tony being gone at the same time."

"_Please_? I promise I'll be back soon, I just want to clear my head. Maybe go into the city and get something to drink. A Mountain Dew Red?" he mused.

Happy and Pepper shared a look before Pepper sighed. "Text me when you get into the city, okay?"

"Only if you call me when Dad and Peter return from space."

She smiled brightly. "Okay, deal. I'll see you later."

Aero smiled back. "See you in an hour."


	14. EPILOGUE

When Aero was a kid, there were a lot of moments where everyone thought Tony was dead.

The most terrifying moment that stands out was when he was seven, about to turn eight. He'd only been with Tony for a few months, but he already felt at home; he didn't understand what his dad's job was, or why he and Pepper would have weird reactions whenever he called Pepper 'mom.' He only knew that sometimes he was left at home with Happy while his parents were out of the house for hours, or even days at a time. But they always came back—if they weren't home in time for dinner, they were back in time for a bedtime story.

And then, one day, there were police at the door.

Mom hadn't gone on the trip this time because she was too busy. But Dad had. And then, a few days later, a lot of people came to the house. Their jackets said FBI in gold letters, but Aero didn't know what that meant at the time. They told him that his dad was dead, but Aero didn't understand that, either. He didn't know why Mom got so emotional, or why Uncle Rhodey and Uncle Happy ushered him out of the room; he didn't understand the sad looks he was given whenever someone found him in Tony's lab, waiting for his dad to stop being 'dead,' whatever that is. Months past. Aero turned eight, and he had a small party. When they told him to make a wish, he wished Tony would come back from his trip. He didn't understand what was taking so long.

A week later, Tony was found in the desert. There was another party, hosted by who Aero thought was his grandfather, Obadiah Stane, until Stane betrayed Tony later on down the line.

Aero didn't know what the word 'dead' meant until he was ten, when one of Dad's friends died and he had to attend the funeral. Everyone was sad and crying, like they had been when they thought Tony was dead. And it occurred to Aero that there had been a real chance his dad hadn't been coming back. He'd gotten lucky—they both had. And, suddenly, he couldn't bare the thought of his dad dying. It was impossible. It wouldn't happen. His dad was _Tony Stark_—Tony Stark didn't _die_!

Five years later, at twelve, and the cycle repeated itself.

It was after the Battle of New York, when Aero had been on a plane with his mom, watching the news with confusion, anger, and fear. New York was being attacked by aliens, and he couldn't even focus on how cool it was that aliens existed, because there was a chance his dad was going to die. But Tony hadn't died. He'd just gotten traumatized. Mom walked out of the house sometimes, whenever Dad was acting weird, but Aero stayed. He didn't have anywhere to go, not that he wanted to. He even turned down Uncle Rhodey's offer of staying at his place for a night or two.

A few months after the battle, their home was attacked. It seemed the Aero had the most luck in the world, or maybe his mom was too smart, because only hours before missiles were launched at their house, Aero was sent off with Uncle Rhodey. He didn't get to see his mom until days later, and by then he was aware that Tony was missing—and presumed dead.

Aero didn't believe it. His dad was _Tony Stark_, and Tony Stark didn't die.

He came back, of course. He always came back. It seemed like the Stark family had a talent for not dying. They were always lucky.

Sometimes luck ran out.

The room was bare, save for Pepper. And she was almost the most painful sight of all.

He wondered where the other Avengers were, but pushed that thought form his mind as he sat up. How long had it been since his outburst at Steve? He'd nearly died, then. Gotten too worked up. Too heated. He'd stupidly pulled out his IV and the arc reactor just to make a point. But he knew that was stupid and he shouldn't have done it, even before Pepper opened her mouth.

But she didn't yell at him. She sat by his bed, silent, eyes tinged red.

"I thought you had died. Then I got you back. And then you pulled that stupid stunt and I thought I lost you again," she whispered, voice horse. She looked at him, then. "You need to be more careful, Tony. We need you. _I _need you." Tony nodded, and she fell silent again before leaning forward, putting her hand on his. "I'm ... I'm pregnant, Tony."

The heart monitor spiked.

Tony sat up, staring at her for a moment before coughing and laying back down. "I'm sorry, you're _what_?" he asked.

Pepper smiled. "You know when you told me about your dream? About me being pregnant?" He nodded. "I was. I— I am."

"When did you find out?"

"The day ... _that day_," she told him. Tony hesitated, before smiling faintly. She didn't need to be specific, but the thought of such a sad day was overshadowed by the fact that they were going to have another kid together.

"Does Aero know?"

He knew the moment he said his name. It was obvious in the way her face fell, how she turned her head and began to cry. It had been clear when Tony had told Steve, "I lost the kid," and Rhodey had turned away, like he couldn't bare to tell Tony himself. It was right there in front of him the moment he woke up. Because if Aero wasn't with Pepper, then he was with Peter. That's the way it always had been, ever since those two met from Tony's meddling.

If Aero wasn't with Pepper and Tony, he was with Peter Parker.

And it wasn't any different this time.

Somehow, Tony couldn't find it within himself to cry.


	15. SEQUEL

THE SEQUEL

**UNDER THE RAIN**

s/13497147/1/Under-the-Rain-Book-Two


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